Silence
by Savoren
Summary: After the trial in HP 5, Umbridge is given the guardianship of Harry. With her strict rules and abusive consequences, Harry begins to spiral out of control. Who notices and helps? Who can he turn to when Albus ignores him and Umbridge can destroy anyone who tries? *Read the Key notes at top of ch.1*. Warnings: CP, OOC, AU, ABUSE!, depression, angst, anxiety, language. SS/RL, AD/MM
1. A New Guardian

**Silence**

 **Warnings:** **Language, angst, corporal punishment, ABUSE , OOC of Severus and other characters, AU, sexual relations, depression and anxiety.**

 **Pairings:** **Severus/Remus, Albus/Minerva,**

 ***Read!*** **Key facts:** **Severus was adopted by Minerva and Albus when he was younger. Sirius was in Godric's Hollow and died with Lily and James.**

* * *

 **Chapter One:**

 **A New Guardian**

Panicked, Harry watched as Albus Dumbledore, the man of whom he looks up to, disappeared out of the court room. _How could he leave me here? Why isn't he fighting this? What about the blood wards?_

Harry tensed as he felt a hand land on his shoulder. He slowly turned to look at the toad-faced woman - his new guardian.

"Mr. Potter," Her voice made chills run up and down Harry's spine. "My name is Dolores Umbridge."

Harry pulled away from her touch and eyed her nervously. _This bitch wanted me expelled - why would they give her my guardianship?_

When she realized the boy wasn't going to speak, she grabbed his shoulder again and, with a tight grip, led him out of the court room and to her office.

Harry stared around the pink office with disgust. He felt his stomach twist with nausea.

She firmly pushed him into a fluffy chair and then took her seat behind her desk. She eyed him closely with her beady eyes, "Do you know why I demanded your guardianship, Mr. Potter?"

Harry tried to ignore the pictures of the cats as he looked anywhere but at his new guardian. Harry shook his head, "No, ma'am." _Because you couldn't get me expelled?_ Harry knowingly kept that comment inside his head.

She sat up straighter and gave him a deadly glare, "You will look at me when we converse!"

Jumping slightly, Harry snapped his eyes to her and forced himself not to gulp. He refused to show his fear as he daringly leveled his eyes with hers. "No, I do not know why you took my guardianship." He barely kept the attitude out of his tone. He could feel his anger starting to boil inside him. _Why does everything awful happen to me? Why didn't Dumbledore speak to me?!_

She clenched her jaw and gave him an angry glare, "Is that a tone I hear?"

Harry barely stopped himself from rolling his eyes at the lady's insanity. He kept his tone even as he replied, "Well, ma'am, a tone tends to appear when speaking. Surely you-" His eyes went wide and he quickly covered his stinging cheek. He stared at her in fear before quickly putting a mask on and he dropped his hand from his cheek. He hadn't expected to be slapped, it's never happened to him before.

Dolores roughly grabbed Harry's chin and jerked his head so he was staring at her again, "You will speak to me with respect, Mr. Potter! I am your guardian and I will keep you in line!"

Harry tried to pull out of her grip but the grip only tightened, making him flinch in pain. He kept his mouth closed though, unwilling to show his fear or pain.

When he didn't say anything she gave his chin an angry jerk, "Respond to me when I speak to you!"

Harry closed his eyes to stop the hot tears that were filling his emerald eyes from spilling. "You're hurting me," he managed to whisper.

She snarled at him, "Oh I'm hurting you? I could do so much worse, Mr. Potter. As I am your guardian I have the right to punish you as I see fit."

Harry finally pulled free from her painful grip. His eyes were no longer sparkling with fresh tears but were hard with anger, "Not if it's abusive!"

She smirked at him. The smirk made Harry's insides twist and turn. "And who would believe you if I abused you? No one, Mr. Potter. I am a respectable lady in the Ministry of Magic - I have higher people on my side. No one would believe you. Besides, you are a known chronic liar."

Harry struggled with hiding his fear, "Dumbledore would believe me!"

She laughed at him, "Would he? From what it looked like in the court room, he doesn't care. He didn't even fight my guardianship of you."

Harry felt his heart clench and he dropped his eyes, _She's right._

Seeing him slowly giving up, she added with a sickening smile, "You would only cause yourself more trouble than good if you fought me. Whoever you tell, I can destroy them financially and destroy their reputation. Do you really want to be responsible for that? You are already responsible for your classmate's death - surely you don't want to add to your evil deeds?" She smiled as she watched his shoulders slump. The last of the fight in his eyes died out. "Now that we are on the same page, Mr. Potter, I expect you to be on your best behavior at all times. If you are not, I promise you, there will be dire consequences to pay."

Harry forced himself not to cringe at the idea. He didn't even want to think about what kind of consequences she is speaking of. He knew he had to play along - if only to save himself. _She's right, no one would believe him. Hell, Dumbledore doesn't even care._ He kept his tone even and respectable as he said quietly, "Yes ma'am."

Dolores felt like she could squeal in delight. She expected him to fight more but apparently the boy's guilt for the death of Cedric Diggory was still strong. "That's a good boy." She reached across her desk so she could gently cup the pink cheek she slapped earlier, "If it is the last thing I do, you will become a good boy. I will break your lying, deceiving, and disobedience." She let out a tired sigh and dropped her hand, she briefly noticed Harry's flinch and hid her satisfied smile. "That's right, Mr. Potter, you have every right to fear me. Unlike the rest of the adults who have failed you, I will hold you accountable for your actions. In my care, you will become the respectable adult that I know, deep down, you can become."

 _She's bloody insane._

When he didn't reply, she returned to their previous conversation, "I took your guardianship so I could mold you into what I know you can be. If I have to, I will beat the bad out of you." She noticed the flash of fear in Harry's eyes, "You heard me right, Mr. Potter. I will not hesitate to snap a belt over your bare backside if that is what is needed. Too many adults have allowed your disobedience to slide - not I, Mr. Potter. I will hold you accountable!"

Nauseous, Harry fought with the urge to run away. Where would he go anyway? She's right about everything - Dumbledore doesn't care about him and if he ran to the Weasleys, she would destroy them. _I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I hurt the Weasleys._

She watched as his emotions flew across his face - _he's like an open book! This is going to be easy._

Standing from her desk, she walked over to the fireplace and grabbed a handful of floo powder, "Come, Mr. Potter, I will show you our home."

On rubber legs, Harry made his way to her side. He felt her pull him against her. He closed his eyes and tried to even out his breathing.

"Umbridge Manor," she dropped the floo powder and they disappeared in a flash of green flames.

Stumbling out of the fireplace, Harry found himself standing in a pink living room. He frowned, _is everything she owns pink?!_

Dolores patted the ash off herself and casually stepped out of the fireplace. "Come, Mr. Potter. I will show you to your room."

Seeing no other choice, Harry slowly followed her up a spiral staircase.

She pointed to a door on the left, "That is my bedroom. If you ever enter my bedroom I will make sure you cannot sit for a month. Am I quite clear?" At Harry's hurried nod, she smiled and let out a small, girly laugh, "That's a good boy." She pointed to another door, "That is the loo. The door on the left is your bedroom." She walked to the said door and opened it, stepping inside. "You will keep this room spotless if you know what is good for you." She eyed him dangerously for a second before stepping back out of the room, "Get acquainted with your bedroom, Mr. Potter. I have some paperwork to finish. Do not leave this room until six o'clock. That is when supper is. Do not be late! If you are late you will eat your meal standing up." She flashed him a smile and then closed the door and returned downstairs.

Harry stared at the room and let out a sudden, dry sob. _How could this day turn out like this?_ He made his way to the twin sized bed and laid down, pulling a white pillow over his face.

He finally allowed his barriers to fall. His body trembled as he cried into the pillow. _She's right, no one will save me - it's my fault Cedric died._

 **A/N: Thanks for reading! I know it's short but I just wanted to introduce it.**

 **Savoren.**


	2. Living in Hell

**Chapter Two:**

 **Living in Hell**

 **A/N: Thanks for reading and reviewing! I am glad you like this so much! I am going to try to keep updating all of my stories as much as possible but I'm in college so the updates depend on how much homework my professors give me - homework has to come first.**

 **Thanks again,**

 **Savoren.**

 ***Warning* caning in this chapter.**

Harry awkwardly took a bite out of the chicken pot pie and kept his eyes on his food. He could feel her cold stare on him and it unnerved him to the core. So far supper has been a silent affair, much to Harry's relief.

 _She is going to make my life a living Hell until school starts back up!_ The thought of school put a small smile on his face, _Only three more days of this shit and then I will be free from the She-Devil. I can do this, I just have to be on my best behavior and there won't be any problems._

Seeing Harry's smile, Dolores frowned. "Sit up straight while eating, Mr. Potter." She felt satisfied as Harry immediately did as he was told without hesitation. "After you are finished I want you to wash the dishes and put the leftovers away. Then, you will meet me in my office. We need to have a little chat."

Harry paled at the thought, "Have I done something wrong, ma'am?" Saying the word "ma'am" to this bitch made his insides flop. So far she hasn't deserved his respect.

She eyed him closely, "Not that I know of."

Harry fidgeted under her stare and dropped his eyes back down to his plate.

She continued speaking, "We need to discuss the rules of my house, the consequences for breaking said rules and what I expect of you."

Harry bit his tongue so he wouldn't reply rudely. Instead, he gave a small nod of his head and managed to say, "Yes, ma'am."

Dolores smirked and then returned to playfully stirring her tea. "Enough of that ma'am business, Mr. Potter. I want you to call me mum, as that is basically what I am to you now."

Shocked, Harry almost dropped his fork. _She can't be serious right now._ "No offense, ma'am, but you only have my guardianship. You have not adopted me. . ." _Thank Merlin for that!_

She quite enjoyed how unnerved the title made her ward feel. She smiled and replied, "Not yet I haven't."

Outraged, Harry dropped his fork and gave her a dangerous look. "What's that supposed to mean?!" No sooner had his anger taken over, he immediately regretted it.

Dolores jumped to her feet, knocking her pink cup of tea over as she did so. "You will not use that tone of voice with me, Mr. Potter!"

Harry forced himself not to shrink away from her screams. He held his head high and forced himself to remain courageous. "I don't want to call you mum. I already have a mum."

Dolores smirked, "Last time I checked, Mr. Potter, she is dead."

Clenching his teeth and balling his fists, Harry forced himself to remain seated - not trusting himself to stand. "Shut up! You have no right to talk about my mother!"

Shaking in anger, she pointed a single finger at him, "Stand up!"

Taken back by her directions, Harry furrowed his brow, "What? Why?"

Instead of answering him, she closed the gap between herself and Harry and grabbed his shoulders, "When I give you directions you WILL follow them!"

Just so she would stop pulling at his shoulders, Harry got to his feet. He was a couple inches taller than her but that didn't make him feel any better about this situation.

Still shaking in fury, Dolores flicked her wand at the table and everything on top of it disappeared. "Bend!"

All the color drained from Harry's face and he immediately took a hesitant step away from her, "What? You can't-"

"Oh I can and I will! You will bend on your own or I will use the imperius on you!" Dolores snapped at him, matter-of-factually.

Harry's jaw dropped, "That' illegal! You can't do that!"

She rose a single eyebrow at him, "Does it look like I care, Mr. Potter? Now, do as I said!"

Harry felt as if his heart was going to pound right out of his chest as he stared at the table. "W-what are you going to do?"

His fear caused happiness to bubble in her heart. "You are going to get your first lesson on respect and obedience, Mr. Potter. Stop hesitating and bend yourself immediately!"

 _I don't have to do what she said but if I don't then she will use the imperius on me. How did I get myself into this situation? What did I do to deserve this?_

Even though his mind screamed at him to remain standing where he was, like a robot, he found himself walking to the side of the table and bending. He looked over his shoulder to the pink toad holding her wand on him.

"Next time you will follow my instructions quicker! Because of your insolence you will get double!" Dolores snarled at him.

No longer wanting to look at her, he turned his face forward and stared at the wooden table top. He fought with his tears and forced them to not fall.

"Accio cane!" Dolores said from behind him.

Harry's eyes went wide. _This cannot be happening to me! This is a bloody nightmare! When am I going to wake up?_ His thoughts were immediately silenced as he felt the fabric of his trousers leave his bottom. His face turned beat red as he realized he was now bending bare-assed over the dinning room table.

She didn't leave him room to continue thinking about his embarrassment as she brought the cane down across his pale backside, leaving a pink streak in her wake. She started her lecture, "As my ward you will respect me. You will obey me! I will not allow such disobedience from you! If it is the last thing I do, I will mold you into the good little boy that I know you can be!"

Harry clenched his eyes shut and fought with the urge to cry out. He had never experienced such pain in his backside before. Not only did it hurt but it burned - he felt as if his entire rear was engulfed in flames!

She continued, oblivious to Harry's internal fight. "Even if I have to beat your backside every single day, I will succeed in making you a good boy!"

Harry tuned her out and tried to distract himself but every time he tried to think of something else the cane would land and send another streak of pain across his bottom.

By the twentieth stroke, Harry could no longer hold in his sobs. He gave up his fight and laid his face against the table top, allowing his tears to flow. The pain in his backside made him no longer care about crying in front of the toad.

Hearing his cries and seeing his shoulders shake, Dolores nodded in satisfaction, "Ten more, Mr. Potter. If you had listened to me we would have been done at fifteen strokes!"

Harry could care less at the moment, his breathing became hitched and his sobs grew harder and more pathetic with each stroke. When the last stroke landed, he continued to stay bent - barely registering that the punishment was over.

Dolores sighed softly at the sight. _I can do this. He may be a delinquent but his reaction to his punishment shows that he can be molded and changed._ She pulled his underpants and trousers back up over his red backside and allowed him to continue to cry over the table. _Obviously this was his first caning._ She smiled softly, _Thank Merlin I was able to be the one who delivered it!_

After banishing the cane back to her office, she started to feel a little uncomfortable with his sobs. "Stand and get a hold of yourself, Mr. Potter."

Harry immediately did as he was told and stood. He slowly turned to look at his new guardian. He had the sudden urge to be held and comforted but he knew better than to seek that comfort from her. Instead he closed his eyes and focused on his breathing, trying to get his tears under control.

Before either one could say something, the doorbell rang.

Dolores flashed Harry a dangerous look, "You will keep your trap shut if you know what is good for you, Mr. Potter." With that, she went to the front door and opened it.

Harry stayed with his feet planted on the ground, too afraid and nervous to do anything but stand still. _I am the blood Boy-Who-Lived. Why am I so afraid of this bitch? Why can she do this to me?!_

Their guest's voice caused Harry's thoughts to immediately stop racing.

"I brought Harry's belongings," Arthur Weasley's voice echoed throughout the downstairs.

Harry's heart skipped a beat. _I could tell him everything and he could save me - he could take me away from this Hell._ Then he remember, _She would destroy them._

"Thank you, Mr. Weasley. I appreciate your thoughtfulness." Her voice made Harry feel sick.

"May I see him?" Arthur questioned.

Harry's breath hitched in his throat. _Please say yes. . ._

"Mr. Potter!" she yelled for him.

Harry hurried into the room, trying to keep the pain off his face as his backside thumped angrily.

Seeing the boy, Arthur immediately closed the gap and pulled him into a tight embrace. "Why the sad face, son? Are you alright? You have tear tracks and your face is flushed."

Blushing, Harry immediately wiped at his cheeks. He forced a small, fake smile.

He could feel Umbridge's deadly stare on him as he quickly nodded his head, "Yes, Mr. Weasley. I am. . . I'm fine."

Grabbing Harry's chin, Arthur forced him to look at him, "Then why the tears?" _I cannot believe his guardianship was handed to Dolores Umbridge!_

With a quick glance at Umbridge, Harry forced himself to lie to Arthur Weasley's face. "It's just been a long day, sir. I'm fine." Guilt immediately grew in his stomach as he thought about his lie. _I respect him and yet I just lied to him. . ._

Arthur looked as if he could see right through him but he didn't pressure Harry. He gave a small incline of his head and took a step back, "I want you to keep in touch, son. If you need anything - anything at all, let Molly and I know."

Harry quickly nodded. He suddenly just wanted Mr. Weasley to leave. _He can't find out - she will destroy the Weasley family and it will be my fault._ He pushed the thought Cedric's death out of the forefront of his mind. "Thank you, sir. I will." _No I won't. I can't put you in danger. . ._

With a small nod, Arthur headed for the front door. He stopped and looked at Dolores, "If he becomes too much, contact us. We will take him off your hands."

Dolores smiled lovingly at him, "Oh, I am sure I can handle him." She looked at Harry, "I believe you have some dishes to wash, Mr. Potter."

Taking that as his cue to leave, Harry immediately went to the kitchen. The sink was full of their dishes from supper and he quickly set about cleaning them. He vaguely heard the front door close behind Arthur Weasley as he left. _He left me here._ Harry scrubbed the dishes harder so he didn't focus on the empty feeling in his heart.

"I am so proud of you, my boy. You handled that surprise visit perfectly," Dolores exclaimed with excitement as she entered the kitchen.

 _If lying to Mr. Weasley was so good, why do I feel so bad?_ He quickly finished cleaning the dishes and then turned and waited for his next instructions.

She stepped over to the drying rack and inspected the dishes. After she felt satisfied with his chore, she gave a small nod of her head and then left the kitchen, calling over her shoulder, "Follow me."

Harry immediately hurried after her. He followed her into an office that looked like an exact replica of the office at the Ministry of Magic. Once again, he tried to ignore the cats and sat down on the fluffy chair in front of her desk. He stayed silent, staring at his hands as he waited for her to start speaking.

"As I said earlier, we need to discuss the rules, consequences and expectations of you being my ward. As you already know, as for the consequences, I will never hesitate to beat your backside. You can also be grounded, mouth washing, and extra chores. My goal is to shape you into the man that I know you can become and if that means you will never sit comfortably again, so be it."

Harry paled softly and fidgeted in the pink chair.

She continued, "The rules are as follows: call me mum, be respectful, be obedient, no swearing, no talking back, bedtime at nine sharp, don't make me repeat myself, no running in the house, no yelling or screaming, no sarcasm, keep your bedroom clean, clean up after yourself, have all your chores done before bedtime, and _never_ tell anyone about your consequences. Silence is key to your survival, Mr. Potter."

Harry could feel his chest tighten as he thought about all those rules. _How am I ever going to remember them all?!_ He felt his breathing hitch but before he could go into a full panic attack, she snapped, "Respond to me, Mr. Potter!"

Her yell made Harry jump in fear and he quickly nodded his head. He forced his breathing to even out as he replied, "Yes, ma'am."

"Call me mum, Mr. Potter!" She screamed at him causing Harry to jump once again.

Seeing the cane hanging from a hook on the wall, Harry gave a timid, small nod of his head. He gave in, "O-okay." _Why is she so terrifying?_

"Say it! I want to hear it," She gave a sick smile of pleasure - _his fear is written all over his face! Good. He should be scared!_

Harry stared at her for a second before forcing himself to say the title. "M-mum." Calling her his mother's title made bile rise in his throat. He pushed it down and dropped his eyes. _I need to do everything and anything that she says. I can do this- it's only three more days._

She smiled and leaned over, placing a wet kiss to his forehead, "That's my good boy."

Harry gagged. _She kissed me! I'm going to fuckin' puke!_

Luckily, Dolores hadn't noticed his gag or his disgust, "So long as you continue to be respectful and follow all the rules, you will be fine." She continued, "Moving on to expectancy. I expect you to follow every single rule, be mature, and be silent. When we return to school I expect you to keep your grades at top notch - I will _not_ accept poor marks, Mr. Potter. I expect you to be respectful to all your professors and follow all the rules."

 _We? Did she say WE?!_ Harry forced his panic to not show on his face or in his voice as he asked, "Um, ma'-" he closed his eyes and tried again, "M-mum," _that title is NEVER going to get easier to say!_ "What did you mean by we? Surely you're not coming to school with me?"

Her smile made Harry's stomach clench from sickness. "You don't know?" At Harry's nervous shake of his head, her smile grew. "I am the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, Mr. Potter."

Harry felt like he could pass out. "W-what?!"

She reached over and gently patted his hand, "No worries, Mr. Potter. Mama will take care of her boy even at school." She noticed all the color drain from his face, "That's right, Mr. Potter. Your backside will not be safe at school either. It is very important that I mold you into the good boy that you can be. You are a role model to little kids. I cannot allow to keep going around getting into mischief, being a delinquent or a liar."

Starting to hyperventilate, Harry stared at her like she had grown three heads. _Mama? Take care of me? Delinquent?_ Harry shook his head and closed his eyes.

She patted his hand again, "It's alright dear. I know this is a lot to take in. Bedtime is in two hours. I want you to go to your room, put on your pajamas and take a bath. Then, I expect you to work on your homework until it's time to sleep. I will be in to check if you are asleep by 9:05. Pray that you are, Mr. Potter."

Harry took the threat as it was and hurried off to his bedroom.

 **A/N: If you can't handle her bitchiness or abuse, this story is not for you. This will continue until Harry is saved.**

 **Thanks for reading!**

 **Savoren.**


	3. Rippling Agony

**Chapter Three:**

 **Rippling Agony  
**

 **A/N: Hey! Thanks for reading and reviewing! I am going to try to tie up some loose ends here in this chapter. If anything is confusing please ask!**

 **Savoren.**

 ***Warning: Severus and Remus are lovers and are OOC. Remember this fic is AU. Remember Sirius died with Lily and James (Peter went to Azkaban instead of Sirius). Also, Severus being Albus and Minerva's adopted son is a secret, only a fair few know.**

"I wish this didn't have to be a secret," Remus mumbled into Severus' back.

Severus sighed softly and turned so he was facing the other man, "I know, Rem. You know just as well as I do that our relationship must remain the way it is until the Dark Lord falls. We can't afford the Dark Lord finding out - he would surely kill me."

Everything was so much easier before last year - they almost even announced their engagement to the wizarding world! Last year the Dark Lord came back to life by the help of Peter Pettigrew. Two years ago, Pettigrew had escaped Azkaban. His escape made Hogwarts go on lock-down, everyone was worried that he was coming after Harry. During this time, Severus convinced Albus to let Remus be the DADA professor (of course he had to keep up his reputation though and so he pretended to be an arse to Remus while in public).

Severus was pulled from his thoughts as Remus suddenly sat up in their bed and let out a shuddering sigh. Severus sat up and turned on the bedside lamp, "Do you need a Dreamless Sleep potion?"

Remus shook his head and ran his hand through his messy mop of hair, "No, love." He sighed again and looked at Severus, "Did you hear about Harry's trial today?"

Harry Potter. That's another sensitive topic to Sev. Though he pretends to hate the boy, Remus knows him better than that. No, Severus does not hate Harry - he cares deeply for the boy but with his position as a spy, there is nothing he can do except play his role.

Severus frowned and gave a small shake of his head. He had been hiding in his lab all day, finishing up the potions for Madam Pomfrey. "Surely he wasn't expelled?"

Remus quickly shook his head, "Worse." Seeing Severus' wide eyes, he said, "His guardianship was given to Dolores Umbridge."

Furrowing his brow, Severus sat up straighter, "Are you serious?"

Remus nodded, "I don't trust her with my cub, Sev. How do we know if she's treating him okay? How do we know if she's taking care of him? Harry has been through so much already, Sev! Hell, the only peaceful year he has had at school is when the school was on lock-down when Pettigrew escaped! Sev, I'm worried about him!"

Severus could definitely understand _why_ Remus was worried - he had every right to be worried. Dolores Umbridge is a heartless bitch (and that's putting it gently). "Well, I mean, if dad didn't fight the guardianship then maybe there is nothing to worry about."

Remus huffed, "Severus, no offense, but your father hasn't quite been the most pleasant to be around lately."

Severus sighed softly, "I know. I'm sorry, he just has a lot on his mind." _Which he won't tell me!_ Severus moved the subject away from Albus, "Perhaps a firm hand will do Potter good."

Remus immediately leveled him with a dangerous glare, "Are you kidding me, Severus?"

 _Ugh, he used my first name._ Severus knew he pissed Remus off. Remus only ever calls him Severus if he is upset, all other times it's Sev. "Look, I'm not saying that he needs a huge firm hand, Rem. I'm just saying that maybe if he has a guardian that actually cares about him (unlike those blasted muggles) then maybe he will stop putting his life in danger."

Remus' angry stance relaxed a little as he leaned back against the head board. "What if she doesn't go about it the right way?"

Severus sighed softly and took Remus' hand in his, "You're worried she's going to hurt him?"

Remus nodded, "What if she's abusive? You know how that toad is, Sev! She's a horrible person. I hate the idea of my cub being under her care!"

Turning the lamp off, Severus pulled Remus closer to him and held him tight, "I'll talk to my father in the morning about your concerns. We can't do anything right now, Rem. It's in the middle of the night. Are you sure you don't need a Dreamless Sleep potion?" At Remus' shake of his head, Severus cuddled him closer and held him tight. "It's all going to be okay, Rem. You might be worrying over nothing."

Remus sighed softly and closed his eyes, allowing Severus to comfort him. "Goodnight, love."

Smiling softly, Severus followed Remus' moves and closed his eyes as well, "Goodnight, Rem."

* * *

Breakfast had been a silent affair with Harry occasionally adjusting his position on the seat.

Umbridge destroyed the silence by saying, "I have to go to work. Since I don't trust you to be home alone, I am going to lock you in your bedroom and have my nanny house elf, Trixie, watch you. If you must use the loo while I am gone, ask Trixie and she will let you out of your room. She will also provide you with lunch. I will be home before supper. You are to work on your homework while I am gone. If you finish all your homework then I want you to start reading up in your Defense Against the Dark Arts textbooks. I bought the textbooks this morning for you - it will be on your nightstand when you go back upstairs."

"When will I get my other school supplies?" He avoided using a title with her.

"If you are a good boy we will go tomorrow. If you are bad, then I will go myself," Umbridge stated plainly.

Harry vowed to be on his best behavior. He would do anything to get out of this pink house! "May I write to my friends?"

She eyed him closely and pursed her lips, "I don't think that's a good idea, Mr. Potter. Maybe some other time when I can read over what you write."

Harry let out a soft sigh and gave a small nod of his head. _Two more days and then I can go back to the Gryffindor tower and see my friends. I can do this._

As if reading his mind, Dolores sat up a little straighter in her chair and said, "We will be moving into Hogwarts a day before classes start. I need to get my office and private quarters decorated. You will have a bedroom in my quarters where you will sleep every night."

Harry gaped at her, "Why can't I sleep in the Gryffindor tower?"

Dolores sighed, "Mr. Potter, do you truly think it is a good idea to have a delinquent and chronic liar sleeping beside boys that can be easily influenced?" She tutted and gave a firm shake of her head, "Until I have nipped your lying in the butt, you will sleep in my private quarters." She noticed Harry's outraged face, "I would think before opening that mouth of yours, Mr. Potter."

Harry immediately gave her a nasty look and slouched in the chair, "That's so unfair. Everyone else can sleep in the dorms. Why does everything have to be special or different for me? Why can't I just be a normal student?"

With thin lips, she leveled him with a stern look. "Is that back-talk I hear?"

Paling, Harry looked anywhere but at his guardian. "No, ma'am."

"It is mum to you, Mr. Potter!" Dolores suddenly screamed out. "Do _not_ make me remind you again!"

Taking in a shaky breath, Harry kept his eyes on the table top and gave a small nod of his head. His breakfast, long forgotten. "W-what will I call you at school?" Again, he purposefully avoided using a title.

She narrowed her beady eyes at him, "In front of you classmates you will call me professor. In front of everyone else and in private you will call me mum. Is that clear, Mr. Potter? Any slip-ups or mix-ups will earn you a thrashing."

Again, Harry gave a jerky nod of his head. _My life sucks._

She continued talking, knowing full-well that her ward was starting to struggle with holding back his temper. "At school you will not only be punished as my student but you will receive a second punishment as my ward. Do I make myself clear?"

His patience for her bitchiness snapped, "But that's not fair! None of this is fair! Why are you even my guardian? What about the blood wards at my relatives' house? Don't I need that protection? Isn't that why I was never allowed to leave their house in the first place?!"

She slammed her hands against the table, "ENOUGH! The idea of a blood ward is preposterous! Obviously this is something you learned from Dumbledore- the old fool. He is the reason why I am the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor this year. I am in charge of making sure the old man is not completely senile yet and is still capable of making good choices for the students at Hogwarts."

If a glare could kill, Dolores Umbridge would be six-feet under the ground. "Don't talk about Headmaster Dumbledore like that! You don't _deserve_ to talk about him!"

She held her own with the glaring battle, "Why are you sticking up for him, Mr. Potter? He obviously doesn't care about you."

Clenching his jaw, Harry pushed away the thoughts that were telling him that she was right. He ignored his instincts to run. "Screw you, Umbitch."

Dolores' face turned purple as she reached out and back-handed Harry across the face, making his glasses go askew. "Did you forget yesterday's punishment so fast, Mr. Potter?" She watched his face closely, waiting for a reaction. When he kept his eyes down, she screamed, "You will learn to hold you tongue and respect me!" Without warning the boy first, she jabbed her wand at her ward and yelled, "Crucio!" As she watched Harry fall out of his chair and begin to writhe on the dining room floor, Umbridge stood from her seat and moved so she was looking down on him. "You will become a good boy if it is the last thing I do, Mr. Potter!" She held the curse on him for a few more seconds and then put her wand down, letting the curse come to an abrupt end. She glared down at him where he lay, motionless on the floor. "Get up, Potter."

Breathing heavy, Harry continued to lay on the floor. Every muscle screamed at him to not move but he couldn't help but be too afraid to go against her directions. So, on shaking arms, Harry forced himself into a sitting potion. He closed his eyes as tears filled his emerald eyes. _I can't believe she used another Unforgiveable on me. What's next, the killing curse?_

She rolled her eyes at his patheticness, "I said to get up, Potter! Have you learned your lesson or do we need to have another session with the cane? I don't mind being late to work if it means that I am teaching you a lesson."

Harry forced himself to stand on shaking legs. He refused to meet her gaze as he collapsed in his chair. He stayed silent, unsure if he could form words with how much his lips were shaking.

She glared at him darkly, "ANSWER ME! Should I just assume that you haven't learned your lesson?"

Harry quickly shook his head and managed to whisper, "No, m-mum. I-I learned my l-lesson."

She smiled gently at him, "That's my good boy." Glancing at the clock on the wall, she let out a soft sigh, "I need to get to work now. I will have Trixie take you to your bedroom and lock the door. We will finish this conversation when I get home." She didn't wait for a reply from him as she yelled, "Trixie!"

Harry stared at the ugly house elf that popped into the room. He watched as she bowed low and kept her eyes locked on the floor, "Madam Umbridge wanted to see Trixie?"

Dolores pointed to the slouched over heap of Harry, "Take him to his bedroom and lock the door. He is only to be allowed out if he needs to use the loo. Immediately lock him back in his bedroom after he is finished. Keep a close eye on him, he's a delinquent and a liar - don't trust a word he says! Also, you need to bring him lunch. Make sure it is something healthy, he didn't finish his breakfast this morning." Once the elf quickly answered that she would obey, Dolores walked around the table and placed a wet kiss to the top of Harry's head, "I only do this because you need it. Behave yourself for Trixie or you will return to Hogwarts with a bruised backside."

 _My butt is already bruised, bitch._ Harry stayed silent. He could still feel his muscles rippling in agony.

Running her fingers through his sweaty hair, she gave a small, girly chuckle and then left him for Trixie to deal with.

Trixie eyed Harry curiously. _He doesn't look like a bad person._ She dismissed any ideas of helping the boy by reminding herself that Madam Umbridge will have her head chopped off for disobeying her or respecting an enemy. "Come, young Mr. Potter."

With shaking legs, Harry obediently followed. He fought with the urge to cry as he entered his bedroom.

Sitting on the twin-sized bed, Harry watched as the ugly house elf closed and locked his bedroom door. As soon as he heard the click, Harry began to feel claustrophobic - he hasn't been locked in a room this small since his time of living under the stairs! Even Dudley's second bedroom is bigger than this room!

In order to keep himself from panicking and thinking about his pain, Harry forced himself to start working on his homework.

 _Hopefully the curse on the DADA professors holds true this year and she will get sacked. . . Or die._

* * *

Severus paced back and forth in front of his father's mahogany desk. Fury radiated off him as he tried to comprehend what his father was saying. "If Remus is worried than I am worried. Why do you not care? Isn't he your Golden Boy? Don't you even want to _check_ on him?"

Albus sighed and looked at Severus from over his half-moon spectacles. "Severus, calm yourself and take a seat. I know you have been jealous of Harry - you fear I care more about him than yourself. You can't completely believe that though can you?"

Severus halted. He's wanted to have this conversation with his father since Harry Potter came to Hogwarts for his first year. Severus knew though that the only reason his father changed the subject to his jealousy was the fact that he didn't want to talk about Dolores Umbridge.

"Don't change the subject, dad! I am a grown man; I am not jealous of a fifteen-year old boy!" His glare hardened when he saw the doubt on his father's face. "Why do you suddenly not care about him? Are you seriously afraid of a pink toad?"

Albus's face turned to stone and he sat up straighter in his high-backed chair, "You may be a full grown man, Severus Tobius, but you will hold your tongue when speaking to me. You may not fit over my lap anymore but you can still fit over the desk. Do not push me!"

Severus forced himself not to cross his hands over his chest like a rebellious teenager, "Don't be ridiculous, father. Why aren't you answering my question? Stop changing the subject!"

"Harry's guardianship is out of my hands, Severus. Dolores Umbridge is the Minister's second hand; she will _always_ get what she wants. Why do you think she's coming to Hogwarts this year? I have too much to prepare for her arrival to be worried about Harry's guardianship right now."

Severus couldn't believe what he was hearing. "And mum? Does she agree with this?"

Albus paled softly but kept his head held high. He has been sleeping on the couch since Minerva found out he hadn't fought Harry's guardianship. "Do not bring your mother into this, Severus Tobius."

"Why? Because she agrees with me? Does she think you lost your spine as well?" Severus immediately regretted his words but he hid this by sneering. He forced himself to keep going, refusing to back down. "Dammit, father! You fought Grindelwald and you can't even stick up to a-" He suddenly found his mouth filled with bubbles. He gave his father a deadly look as he used his own wand to make the bubbles disappear.

Albus stood from his seat to level Severus with a stern look. "I am doing what I need to do, Severus. I understand if no one else understands my reasonings."

Even though his mind screamed at him to stop pushing his luck, Severus continued, "You don't even care about the boy, do you? He's only a pawn to you! do you realize he is a fifteen-year old boy that looks up to you? Do you realize that you are letting him down? Breaking his trust? Do you truly think he is going to do everything you tell him for this war after hurting his loyalty the way you are?" Infuriated, Severus continued his rant, "And you know what, father? Remus is living with me in my private quarters and you can't do a damn thing about it!" Severus stormed toward the door, "Your lack of judgement and empathy is pathetic. Harry looks up to you and this is how you repay him. Hell, forget Potter - _I_ look up to you. I've never been so disappointed in you before." With that, Severus slammed the office door behind him. Through his rant he hadn't even noticed that he called Potter "Harry".

* * *

Harry had convinced Trixie to let him out of the bedroom a half an hour ago. Every time she knocks on the door to ask if he's done, Harry tells her that he's still using the toilet. Trixie keeps asking if he needs help or a potion to "help things along." If he wasn't in so much pain he would probably find the situation a little humorous.

He looked at his beaten reflection in the mirror. He looked bloody dreadful!

With a cringe, Harry gently stroked the black and blue mark on his cheek from where he had been back-handed earlier. He also had a split lip but, for the life of him, he couldn't recall when he cut it. _Must of happened when I was under the Cruciatus Curse._

Wetting a napkin, Harry gently cleaned the dry blood from his lip. He flinched at the sting and immediately stopped trying to get it clean. He's in too much pain as it is to inflict more on himself.

Hearing a loud, impatient knock on the door, Harry let out a sigh. "Fine! I'm done!" He flushed the toilet and then pretended to wash his hands. When he opened the loo door, he found Trixie pacing back and forth.

"Madam Umbridge will be very concerned about young Mr. Potter's bowel problems. Trixie should have gotten young Mr. Potter a potion."

Harry watched as she started to punch herself for not getting him a potion. He quickly knelt and grabbed her hands, "Stop it! She hurts you enough, you don't need to hurt yourself too. I don't need a potion, Trixie. I'm fine. I just _really_ had to go, that's all." He gave her a serious look and then stood back up.

Trixie eyed him curiously. _Young Mr. Potter must be nice if he doesn't want Trixie to hurt Trixie. But, Madam Umbridge told Trixie to not trust or believe Young Mr. Potter._ Instead of saying anything to him, she walked back to Harry's bedroom and waited for Harry to get back inside. Once the boy was inside his bedroom, she closed and locked the door.

Feeling a little more refreshed, Harry returned to his homework.

Five minutes later, Trixie popped in with a tray of food for lunch.

* * *

Dolores found Harry fast asleep on his bed with his potions essay and textbook laying on the floor. She bent down and picked the fallen things up and placed them on the desk. She stared at his sleeping form for a second, _He looks like a good boy when he's asleep. If only he was that good when he's awake too._ "Mr. Potter, wake up."

Harry started in fear and immediately got to his feet, terrified that she was going to scream at him or hurt him for falling asleep. "I'm sorry, m-mum. I-I didn't mean to fall asleep." The title "mum" still made bile rise in his throat.

Dolores gave him an odd look, "Goodness, Potter. I am not going to rip your head off for falling asleep while doing your potions homework. I'm not abusive, Mr. Potter. I understand that sometimes boys your age need naps."

Harry stared at her in complete and utter shock.

She continued, "Come, your owl brought you a letter and I have supper cooking."

Harry felt as if he was still dreaming. When she turned her back on him, he quickly pinched himself. He flinched as he realized he wasn't dreaming.

Nervously, Harry followed her downstairs - afraid that her good mood would soon turn sour.

Sure enough, on the table sat a brown envelope with his name on it. He looked around the kitchen for Hedwig. "Where is my owl?"

She didn't even look up from stirring the food as she said, "I sent it to Hogwarts."

 _It._ "Her name is Hedwig," Harry whispered.

She waved his words off, "Owls are disgusting creatures. You should get a cat, Mr. Potter. They are much more loyal than owls."

Suddenly it occurred to him that if Hedwig wasn't here, how was he supposed to reply to the letter? "How will I reply to the letter if Hedwig was sent to Hogwarts?"

Dolores looked at him from over her shoulder. "Oh, you won't be, dear."

Harry bit his lip from snapping back at her. He still couldn't sit comfortably from the caning yesterday and his muscles still ached from the Cruciatus Curse earlier - there's no way in Hell he is going to chance another punishment just because he couldn't respond to his friends!

Instead of saying anything, Harry picked up the envelope and opened it. The letter was signed by Molly and Arthur Weasley.

Harry,

Molly and I are extremely concerned for your health and safety. You said you were fine yesterday but, son, you realize I have enough kids to know when one of them are lying, right? If you want to lie, you need to get better at it. You were in pain. You were crying. If you can't tell us what is wrong through this letter then find another way to tell us. You know Molly and I love you and see you like our own son. It kills us to know that someone else got your guardianship instead of us. We will do anything for you.

Stay strong. Be brave.

Love,

Arthur & Molly

Harry quickly wiped away a stray tear that escaped his eyes. _I can't tell them! She will destroy them! Why can't they understand that?! I'd rather deal with this woman than hurt the Weasleys._ _She also said that silence is key to my survival. Does that mean she'll kill me if I tell?_ Seeing Umbridge turn around, Harry quickly re-folded the letter back up and shoved it in the envelope.

"Who is it from?" Dolores demanded as she placed supper on the table.

Harry dropped his eyes, "J-just a friend."

Dolores frowned, "Look at me." Immediately, fear-filled eyes locked with hers, "Why are you so afraid of me? I am doing all of this for your own good. Someday, you are going to thank me."

Harry felt his chest tighten as his breathing became rapid. _She's mentally unstable._

Seeing his rising and falling of his chest, Dolores sighed. "You don't see it now. I don't expect you to." Sitting down in her seat, she filled Harry's plate with food and then pushed it so the plate was in front of her ward. "Eat your food and then we need to finish our conversation from earlier."

Harry gave a quick, jerky nod of his head and hurried to eat. Honestly, all he wanted was to be locked in his bedroom again - away from the Devil.

Like all their other meals, they ate in silence. When they were finished, Dolores banished the dishes to the sink in the kitchen and then stood, "Follow me to my office, Mr. Potter."

Harry immediately followed her, no questions asked. When he got inside the pink office, he took the same seat as last time and awkwardly stared at his hands.

She started the conversation that was cut-off earlier, "At school you will not only be punished as my student but you will receive a second punishment as my ward. Do you have any questions about that?"

Harry bit his lip, too afraid to ask the thousands of questions that were popping into his head. Finding his courage, Harry kept his eyes glued to his hands and asked, "Will you ever punish me in front of someone?"

Dolores quirked an eyebrow, "That is an odd question, Mr. Potter. If someone happens to be in our presence when you deserve punished, then yes."

For some reason, this gave Harry hope. _Maybe someone will see and help me. They could save me. Surely she can't get away with this treatment of me if someone witnesses it, right?_

Not liking the look on her ward's face, she added, "For the big punishments you will be punished in our private quarters." She smirked as she watched the hope die from Harry's emerald eyes. "Do you have any other questions, Mr. Potter?"

Harry gave a tiny nod of his head, "Are there going to be any new rules?"

She smiled, "I'm proud of you for thinking about that, Mr. Potter. Yes, instead of bedtime being 9, it will be 8:30. I firmly believe that you need a good night's sleep for your schooling. Remember, you _must_ keep your grades at top notch or you'll suffer the consequences. Any other questions?"

Harry gave a small shake of his head, "No ma'- mum."

She nodded her head and waved him off, "Then retire to your bedroom and get ready for bed. Do you have any more homework?"

Harry gave a small nod of his head, afraid that this was the wrong answer.

She didn't flip, much to Harry's relief. "What do you have left?"

Harry kept his eyes down and stammered, "J-just to finish my potion's essay. . ."

She nodded, "Get ready for bed, bathe and then work on the essay. Remember, if you are not asleep by 9:05, there will be consequences." She waved him off.

Harry immediately jumped to his feet and hurried out the office door. Being in her presence for too long makes his skin crawl.

* * *

Severus tried to stop Remus from pacing a hole in the floor, "Remus, it's going to be okay. He will be coming to school after one more full day. Umbridge has to come a day early and so Harry will be coming with her. You can see him for yourself then."

Remus growled deeply in his throat, "If he's not safe, I swear to Merlin I'll rip her throat out."

Severus didn't reply. Instead, he went to his private potions cabinet and pulled out Wolfsbane. He returned to his lover and handed him the bottle, "The full moon is in three days, drink." Severus shook away the fact that three days is also the return of the students. "Also, I will go down to the Whomping Willow tomorrow and make sure it is still effective for your use to transform."

Remus nodded his thanks as he downed the potion. He closed his eyes and tried to calm himself. He changed the subject in an attempt to keep his mind at ease, "So, how did your father take the knowledge of me living with you?"

Severus huffed softly, "I don't know and I don't particularly care. Until he gets his spine back, his opinion does not mean anything to me."

Remus sighed. He knows Severus better than anyone else and that means he also knows when Severus is trying to fool himself. Remus closed the gap between them by pulling Severus into a tight hug, "I'm sorry, Sev."

Relaxing in Remus' arms, Severus let out a small sigh, "I just don't know what his problem is."

Remus nodded and dropped his hands. Severus doesn't like when hugs last too long. "What about your mother? What did she say about me moving in with you?"

Severus smiled softly, "She made fun of me and asked why you hadn't moved in sooner."

Remus chuckled, "I'm glad she's always supportive, Sev."

Severus nodded. Not wanting to talk about such serious topics anymore, Severus faked a yawn and headed for the bedroom, "It's been a stressful day, Rem." He glanced over his shoulder at his fiance, "Would you like to help me. . . Relax?" He smirked playfully as he watched Remus' face light up.

Remus hurried after him, "Hell yes."

 **A/N: Thanks for reading!**

 **Is there anything that is still confusing to you?**

 **Savoren.**


	4. Escape

**Chapter Four:**

 **Escape**

 **A/N: Thanks for reading and reviewing! I'm sorry for the long wait!**

 **Savoren.**

Harry put the last touches on his last assignment for the summer. The Devil should be returning home from work soon and she wanted all of his homework finished before she did so.

No sooner did he put away his summer school work, Trixie popped in his bedroom and said, "Madam has returned home from work. She has requested you to come downstairs after looking through the school supplies Madam had picked up for you on her way home from work." Just as Trixie said this, she snapped her fingers and bags appeared beside her.

Harry stared at the pile in both confusion and anger, "I thought I was going with her to get my supplies?!" _I should have realized that was too good to be true!_

Trixie fumbled with her hands as she looked at the pile of bags, "Trixie was told that yous had to earn trips out and yous did not." She kept her eyes down, scared that the boy would scream at her or worse, hurt her.

Harry knew this wasn't Trixie's fault but he couldn't help but shoot the messenger, "That's not fair!" He yelled out. He immediately regretted yelling at Trixie when he noticed her jump and hide her face. He sighed, "I'm sorry, Trixie. This isn't your fault. . ."

Trixie peeped out from where she hid her face. _Again, Mr. Potter is acting nice._ She shook herself from her thoughts as she pointed to the pile of supplies, "Madam wants you to look through the supplies quickly and then join her at the dining room table." With that, Trixie popped away.

Harry sighed and prayed that Trixie wouldn't tell on him for yelling at her. He gave one last glare at the pile of bags before picking them up and emptying the contents on his bed.

He stared at the pile in both confusion and amazement. Not only is all of his school supplies here but she also picked him up dress robes, school robes, new muggle clothes, under-shirt, underpants, and new shoes. _Why would she care about buying me clothes?_ He shook away his confusion and looked through the clothes, he felt surprised that he actually liked all of them.

After he finished looking through the supplies, he did as Trixie instructed him and went to the dining room.

Umbridge had her face hidden behind the Daily Prophet, she didn't even greet him as he took his seat at the table. Supper wasn't on the table yet. Harry wanted to ask her about the clothes but couldn't find the courage to do so. He couldn't even find the courage to thank her, too afraid that her kindness was a disguise and soon would lash out and hurt him.

His own face staring back at him from the front page of the Daily Prophet caught Harry's attention, shaking his thoughts away from the clothes upstairs. He tried to read the article without being noticed.

What he read made fury bubble inside him.

 **The Boy Who Lied**

 **by Rita Skeeter**

After Harry Potter's trial for using magic in front of a muggle he was put under the guardianship of the one and only, Dolores Umbridge. Umbridge opened her home for the troublesome teen and will hopefully be able to bring Potter back to reality. Glory and fame has gotten to the boy, causing him to quickly become a delinquent and even a chronic liar. Last year, after the death of Cedric Diggory, Potter created an elaborate, fictional story about He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named coming back to life. No evidence has proven this statement to be true and so we have no other choice but to conclude that Potter made the claim up. So, the question that rises is, how did Diggory die? The only person who knows what truly happened is Harry Potter, he just is not giving us the answers we need. With Dolores Umbridge's guidance, Potter will (hopefully) realize his wrong-doings and come clean. Many readers have asked why Veritaserum has not been given to him. The answer to this question is Headmaster Albus Dumbledore. Dumbledore claims that it would cause more trouble than good for the fight against any remaining Death Eaters.

Yesterday I had the pleasure of meeting Dolores Umbridge in her office at the Ministry of Magic. Umbridge assures us that she will do everything in her power to bring the boy back to normal. She is quoted in saying, "He was once a good, I know it's still in there somewhere." Dolores Umbridge is correct in the first statement, Harry Potter use to be an adorable little boy whose eyes sparkled with curiosity. What happened to him? Hopefully Umbridge can bring our Boy-Who-Lived back to us.

Turn to Page 4 for information of Dolores Umbridge's new position as Defense Against the Dark Arts professor at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Harry stopped reading, blinded by anger. "I'm _not_ a delinquent or a liar! Voldemort IS back! Why is everyone so stupid?!"

She tilted the Daily Prophet so she could level him with a stern look, "You should know better than to speak me in that tone of voice, young man. Take a deep breath and, once you are calmer, you may speak to me with more respect." With that, she returned to her reading.

The fact that she didn't scream back at him only made his anger worse. He wants to yell! He wants to get pay back for the horrible things she has done to him and said about him. "You don't deserve my respect; you're a heartless cunt that is too stupid for her own good." He stood from the table, knocking his chair back. "I hate it here and I want to go back to my relatives' house. I shouldn't have to live with a fucktard that thinks I'm lying!"

A deathly silence fell over them as Dolores slowly folded up the Daily Prophet and laid it on the table. She stared at her ward for a second before flicking her wand at his face.

Harry flinched but immediately started to gag as his mouth filled with disgusting soap. He hurried to spit the suds out but every time he spat, the bubbles doubled. Giving up, he glared at her, thinking of thousands of ways to kill her someday.

With his silence, she stood from her seat and rounded the table so she was standing in front of him, "You have no idea how much trouble you just put yourself in, Mr. Potter."

Her smooth voice made shivers run down his spine and he took a step back. He tried to ignore the burning sensation in his nose from the soap. He kept his eyes locked on her, not trusting her.

She raised her wand and, seeing Harry flinch away, she smiled sweetly. "Oh, dearie, a curse is not enough for the amount of trouble you are in."

Harry cringed, _what's that mean? Is she going to kill me? I'd rather be facing Voldemort than her!_

She flicked her wand, making the suds disappear from his mouth. "How many times do I need to teach you respect, Potter?" Her eyes flashed dangerously.

Harry watched with wide, fear-filled eyes as she began to undo her leather belt. Panic overcame him as he stumbled back, eyes locked on the belt.

With the belt in her hand, she smiled down at it and then used her wand to put a curse on the belt to make it hurt more and the pain last longer. "You will remember to be respectful this time if it is the last thing you do, Potter!"

He didn't hear a word she said as he felt himself automatically starting to bend over. With his mind still clouded with panic, he barely recognized as the coverage on his bottom disappeared.

He was jerked out of his frozen state as the first stinging lash flared across his backside. _I have to get away from here!_ His heart began to pound furiously in his chest as his eyes danced around the room, praying for an escape.

His panic escalated with each lash. He could feel his magic swirling inside, begging to be let free. His finger tips tickled with his unleashed magic. He squeezed his eyes closed and silently begged her to stop, the pain was unbearable.

Suddenly, just as one last lash landed across his backside, he felt the magical hold of the imperius curse lift from his body and he jumped to get away from her. He could feel his magic spiraling out of control but he couldn't find it in himself to try to calm it. He breathed heavily as he pulled his trousers up over his fiery bottom and glared daggers at the toad in front of him.

Her eyes flashed dangerously and she leveled her wand on him, "You will get back into position, Potter! I am not even close to being through with you!"

Harry took a nervous step away from her, knowing his accidental magic could burst free again at any second. "You can't treat me like this!"

"Oh I can and I will! Someday you are going to be grateful for my guidance, Mr. Potter! Do as I say and get back into position or you will get triple what you were already getting!" She took a threatening step towards him and he found himself immediately stepping back again. She scared the living day-lights out of him! She scares him more than Voldemort!

Infuriated about he unfairness of everything in his life, Harry shook his head and spat at her, "I hate you! You're not my mum and never will be!" His screaming caused his magic to swirl faster inside him and sparks began to escape his finger tips.

She ignored the obvious signs of his explosive magic and slapped him across the cheek, snapping in a dangerous tone, "Enough of this temper tantrum, Mr. Potter!"

Blinded by rage, Harry let out an angry scream, finally letting down the barrier to his magic. He kept his eyes squeezed tight as he clenched his fists and screamed over and over again, "Fuck you!" When his voice grew hoarse he finally opened his eyes and immediately took a fearful step backwards. The sight in front of him caused him to fear his own magic.

Across from him is a hole in the wall where Harry assumed Umbridge had disappeared to and the room was in utter destruction.

Afraid that he killed her but too afraid to check (just in case she wasn't dead!), Harry did the only thing that made sense at the moment. He hurried to her office and got his wand from her desk drawer and then he ran out the front door, hoping to get far away from the destruction he created.

As he got to the end of the yard and to the road he threw out his wand, summoning the Knight Bus. Much to his relief, the bus barely took two minutes to show up and save him.

It occurred to him just as Stan opened the door that he probably looked like complete shit.

This assumption was deemed true by the look on Stan's face. He tried to close his mouth and go about his job. As he led the boy to an empty bed, he asked, "What happened to your face, Potter?"

Harry silently panicked. He hadn't thought of an excuse for his state yet. Finally, Harry blurted out the first thing he thought of, "Never be sarcastic to someone double your size."

Stan laughed and nodded his head in agreement, "True, true. Where to then, Potter?"

"The Leaky Cauldron, please." Harry sat down on the creaking bed and braced himself for the unpleasant trip.

He still felt shaky from his explosion but he tried his best to not think about it. Right now he wants nothing else but to get to the Leaky Cauldron, clean up and put a glamour on, then sleep for a hundred years!

 **A/N: Thanks for reading!**

 **Savoren.**


	5. Trouble in Paradise

**Chapter Five:**

 **Trouble in Paradise**

 **A/N: Sorry for the wait, I have been swamped with homework.**

 **Thanks for reading and reviewing! I'm glad you like this story :)**

 **Please don't hate me too much for this chapter!**

 **Savoren.**

Albus eyed the two men in front of him. If he was being completely honest with himself he would admit that he wasn't quite sure about his son's "love" for the werewolf - he always wanted a daughter-in-law, not another son. _Why can't he just find a nice lady at a pub and call it a night?_

Albus mentally shook his thoughts away, there is a reason for having these two in his office - a rather important reason, actually. With one last look at Remus, Albus moved his attention to his son, "There was an alarm set off at the Accidental Magic Department a half an hour ago. The pings were set-off by Harry. I went to Dolores' house to check on the situation by myself and was utterly surprised what I saw. The room was in shambles and no one was home. I thought you would like to be informed."

Remus immediately stood from the seat and headed for the office door. He could tell Albus didn't actually _want_ him around, it's best to leave as quickly as possible and find Harry. "I am going to look for him. He might be hurt or needing help," Remus said as he turned to look at Severus, his eyes asking if he was coming along.

Taking the hint in his fiance's flashing eyes, Severus hurried to his feet and quickly followed. He silently hoped everything was alright and Remus' protective instincts were wrong.

Before they could close the door behind themselves, Albus said, "Stan Shunpike told me they had taken Harry to the Leaky Cauldron." The only thanks he got was a closed door.

Albus sighed and slouched behind his desk.

* * *

Harry jumped awake as the door to his room burst open. He scrambled to sit up, pulling the blankets around him tighter as he saw his guardian stride into the room, a deadly look plastered on her face.

He tried to gulp but he found himself too nervous to do so.

She eyed him closely, anger radiating off her. "I see you put glamours on." She closed the door and slowly locked it behind her. Once done she turned and glared at him, "Little boy, you are in quite the heap of trouble."

Paling slightly, Harry pushed himself closer to the headboard. His knuckles were starting to turn white from clenching on to the blanket so hard. He didn't say a word, just watched her with distrust.

Seeing that he wasn't going to speak to her, Dolores felt her anger double. Her face turned a horrifying shade of red as she closed the gap between them. She stood at the side of the bed, glaring daggers at the shuddering boy. "Give me your wand, Potter."

Harry glanced at the wand on the bedside table, he hurried to grab it and hide it but she beat him to it.

Putting the wand in her pink purse, Dolores seethed. She couldn't shake the desire to hurt the blasted child but, knowing they were in a public place, she didn't trust herself to give the brat what he _truly_ deserved - that can wait until they are behind their private doors at home. "Roll over," Her demand was sharp and quiet, making chills run up Harry's spine.

Biting his lip, Harry felt himself shrink a little. If only this woman was like a monster from his childhood - he could easily hide under the blankets and the monster would disappear. But no, this is a real monster; she won't disappear just because he closes his eyes. _She makes me feel like a helpless child!_

Clenching her fists, her nostrils flared as she let out a furious huff, "Do as instructed, Potter! You are only putting yourself in more trouble."

He felt his heart begin to race and his breathing become heavy. _I can't save myself and no one can save me._ With great unwillingness Harry slowly moved so he was laying on the bed and then rolled onto his stomach.

Dolores smiled triumphantly. This is the first time she hasn't had to use the Imperius Curse to get him to accept his punishment. _He is learning acceptance._ She tried to keep the proud feeling pushed down, knowing she needed to go through with the first part of his punishment. She could easily wait until they're home to punish him but her anger refused to let her wait.

Getting down to business, Dolores rolled her sleeves up and double checked the lock on the door. With that done, she moved back to Harry's side, grabbed his body and forced him closer to the edge, "Stay still or I will start over. Am I understood, Mr. Potter?"

Harry felt as if his mind was racing, the pounding in his chest started to hurt. He didn't reply.

With a flick of her wand, Harry's trousers and underpants moved to his ankles. Pulling a hairbrush out of her purse, Dolores quickly landed the first smack against the glamour-covered bottom.

Harry yelped out, _Why am I accepting this?_ Just as the next swat went to land, Harry rolled and dodged the hairbrush. Unfortunately for him, he rolled closer to her instead of closer to the wall.

Infuriated, Dolores roughly grabbed his arms, sat down on the bed and forced him over her lap. She pinned his hands to his back and captured his one leg between her legs, stopping him from kicking out. "You are a very naughty little boy, Potter!" She brought the hairbrush down making him cry out - she apparently landed the hairbrush on a hidden bruise.

Five swats in and tears were already rolling down his heated cheeks, _Why am I being such a baby? A hairbrush isn't as bad as the cane!_ Even thinking that though, when the next smack landed, he jerked and cried out, "Stop! I-I'm sorry!"

Smiling, Dolores paused. _He's never apologized willingly before. We are making wonderful progress._ "Are you sorry for everything you did (including what you said) or are you sorry for not getting away with it?" When Harry didn't answer right away she landed a harder smack.

He felt like sobbing, _I'm never going to sit again! I should not have ran away. . . Why did I think I could get away with it?_ "I'm sorry for all of it! I'm sorry! P-please stop!"

Dolores landed three fast smacks, "Call me mum. You truly hurt my feelings when you said I wasn't your mum and never will be. Call me mum!"

Going limp over her lap, Harry closed his eyes and let his tears flow. "I'm sorry, m-mum. I'm sorry! P-please?"

Giving a firm nod of acceptance, Dolores adjusted him so his backside was higher in the air. Aiming at his sit-spots, Dolores tapped the hairbrush as a warning so he would relax his muscles, "Ten more on your sitting spots and then I will stop, for now. When we get home you will receive the rest of your punishment. Am I understood?" Once he gave a jerky nod, Dolores hurried to continue.

With his sobbing, Harry didn't hear the door burst open.

Dolores immediately paused and placed her hands over Harry's exposed bottom so the rude visitor didn't see his naked bottom. She was finally making some progress with the boy, she didn't want this progress ruined because of embarrassment.

Glaring at the two men, she pulled Harry's underpants and trousers back up to cover his bottom. Gently rubbing circles on Harry's back to calm his tears, Dolores' glare hardened. "How _dare_ you burst in here like you own the place!" Dolores snapped.

"What are you doing to him?! Let him go!" Remus yelled.

Hearing Remus' voice, Harry stiffened. His cheeks turned bright red and he started to feel ill from embarrassment.

Feeling her ward stiffen on her lap, Dolores ignored Remus and used a soft voice to speak to Harry, "I'm sorry, dear. I didn't realize these rude people would enter a _locked_ door. They didn't see your bottom though, it's okay." She continued rubbing circles, ignoring the looks on the two men's faces. "Here, sweetie, please stand." She helped him off her lap and pulled him close, putting up a scene for the men.

Gently taking hold of Harry's chin, Dolores wiped away at the stray tears. "Did you learn your lesson?"

Confused by her sweet voice, Harry gave a fidgety nod, not understanding what was happening.

Dolores continued, "Good boy. When we get home you are to go to your room for the night and think about how you could have handled the situation better. Am I understood, Harry?"

Again, Harry gave a fidgety nod.

Dolores sighed, "A verbal response please."

Severus stared at the scene with a deep frown. He couldn't help but feel embarrassed for bursting in here and interrupting their privacy. He knew he should have told Rem to wait a while longer before bursting in like that. Dolores obviously hadn't heard the knocking over Harry's punishment.

Harry stared into her caring eyes, _Why can't she act like this all the time?_ "Yes mum," he whispered, hoping Remus didn't hear him call her mum.

Nodding, Dolores pulled him into a hug and placed a gentle kiss to the top of his head, "I forgive you."

Not knowing what else to do, Harry hugged her back.

Remus seethed, "Answer me, woman!"

Stilling holding Harry close to her chest, Dolores glared at the two men. "Obviously I was punishing him, stupid man! How dare the two of your interrupt Harry's privacy!"

 _Two of you?_ Harry frowned and tried to turn around to see who the other visitor was. He couldn't turn around though, her hug was much too tight.

Severus stepped in, knowing Remus would flip out more. "We are very sorry for our rudeness. We were worried because we were knocking for a good ten minutes and were told that you were both in the room." Taking notice of her beat up body for the first time, Severus frowned, "What on earth happened to you?"

Hearing Snape's voice, Harry felt like throwing up. _He's never going to let me live this down._

Dolores sighed and gently rubbed circles on Harry's back. "He threw me through a wall."

Severus gaped at the boy who looked to be hiding his face. Severus couldn't help but feel rubbish for embarrassing the boy so much. _If I was in his position I would be horrified right now._ "He has thrown me through a wall before too."

Finally able to turn around, Harry looked to Remus, hoping for someone to be on his side.

Remus motioned for Harry to come over to him, "Come here, Harry."

Harry glanced at his guardian, afraid to do anything she didn't agree to. At her nod, Harry went to stand in front of his father's best friend.

Remus gently took hold of his chin and lifted so Harry was no longer staring at his feet. "I am sorry to embarrass you but I need to know that you are a safe. Is she taking care of you? Is she being fair? Is she being kind."

Severus forced himself not to groan as he saw the offended look on Umbridge's face.

 _I could tell him everything right now._ Harry mentally shook his head, _Do you want to ruin his life?_ Harry sighed and tried to look away. He didn't want to lie to the man's face, he looks up to Remus after all. "Everything is fine, Remus."

Grabbing his chin again, Remus made him look in his eyes, "Do you promise?"

Harry fidgeted under his piercing stare. He gave a small nod, "Y-yeah." Immediately he regretted lying. _I can't let her ruin his life._

Remus narrowed his eyes and stared at Harry. Something about this whole thing made his wolf instincts shudder. Something is wrong here.

Severus gently took hold of Remus' arm, "Come on, we need to report back to Headmaster Dumbledore." He eyed Harry carefully, the boys cheeks were still a bright red. Forcing himself to do what he knew was right, Severus apologized, "I'm sorry that we interrupted, Mr. Potter. If it helps any, your guardian did a very good job at covering you up."

Harry blushed fiercely and dropped his head. _Why is Snape apologizing? Has Hell frozen over?_

Severus held in his sigh. Remus would have apologized if he wasn't acting so suspicious and so, Severus knew he needed to take on that role. _I have to start showing my true self to everyone. I'm tired of pretending to be some asshole that dwells in the dungeons. I'm tired of doing everything dad tells me. Remus wants me to show my true self, if he has faith in me, then I know I can do it._ Shaking himself out of his rambling thoughts, Severus pulled on Remus' arm, "Come on, Remus."

Unwillingly, Remus followed Severus out of the room, closing the door behind him.

Dolores smiled at her ward, "I'm proud of you, Mr. Potter." Heading toward the door, she snapped, "Come, the rest of your punishment is waiting at home."

Harry groaned quietly and followed behind her.

* * *

Severus sighed. They have been home for nearly two hours now and Remus still hasn't spoken a word to him since they left his father's office.

Remus glared into his cup of Firewhiskey and finally broke the silence, "Something is going on and you may want to pretend everything is fine but I know it's not."

Knowing he was referring to Umbridge and Potter, Severus took a small sip of his drink, "I'm not pretending, Remus. I don't know what is going on. I am going by what I have seen tonight."

Remus rolled his eyes, "You're a bloody spy and a professional at Occlumency - why are you being blind Severus?" He glared at him angrily.

Severus felt like growling. "Oh, so you wanted me to probe your precious lion's brain?" He immediately regretted his words. He hadn't meant for them to be so harsh.

Remus wanted to throw his cup of Firewhiskey. "I want you to bloody care, Severus! You're not a heartless asshole to me, stop pretending to be to everyone else on this godforsaken planet!"

Trying to keep himself calm, Severus snapped, "I do care, Remus! You bloody well know that I care! I need facts before I can come to my conclusions! I don't have your werewolf instincts!"

Remus seethed and stood from his seat, pacing back and forth in front of the fireplace, "Then you need to trust my instincts! Something is wrong! Harry _lied_ to my face and his body reeked with fear! Trust me! We are engaged and yet you can't trust my instincts!"

Severus sighed and stood. He tried to pull Remus close only to be shoved away, "Remus, please take a deep breath. We can't do anything off your instincts. I'm sorry but you know it is true. We need a case to get him out of her grasp - not just your instincts. This is what I am trying to do! I am trying to see all the angles. You know just as well as I that if I had used Occlumency on her ward or herself I would get in trouble with the Ministry. She has the Minister on puppet strings! If I had invaded her brain or Harry's, she would have destroyed everything we have. Do you not understand that?"

Remus sagged a little, "I do. I just don't care, Sev." He looked at his fiance, eyes filled with worry, "He's all I have left, Sev. Something is going on and it infuriates me that I just have to sit here and wait for the case to be made."

Severus sighed, "I know you don't want to hear this but I have to look at all the angles, all the possibilities. What happened today in their home could have just been a normal spat that every parent has with their teenager. There's a possibility that Harry didn't get his way and threw a tantrum, letting his magic go, and ran away. It happens all the time, Rem. Teenagers are crazy, you know that. . ."

Remus huffed and rolled his eyes, "Why do you always try to think of him as a troublemaker?"

Severus felt his patience wearing thin. "Because he is one! You know bloody well how he is Remus! He makes my job of protecting him insanely hard sometimes! He breaks the rules. He puts his life in danger! I promised Lily that I would protect him but the truth of the matter is that he is a troublemaker! Why do you refuse to see it?"

Remus growled furiously, "Because someone has to be on his side." With a flick of his wand, he accio'd bed sheets, pillows and blankets onto the couch. "Get comfortable because that is where you are sleeping tonight!" With that, Remus went to their bedroom and slammed the door shut behind him.

Closing his eyes, Severus let out a deep sigh. _That went much worse than I expected. . ._

* * *

Harry laid on his stomach, the rest of his punishment wasn't as bad as he feared it would be (she probably made it easier on him since he lied for her). The longest part of his punishment was cleaning up the mess he made.

Sighing, Harry closed his eyes and tried to silence his mind. The embarrassment of Remus and the bat of the dungeons seeing him face-down over his guardian's lap was still eating away at him. _What if Snape tells his snakes? I am never going to live this down. . ._

Shaking his head, Harry reminded himself that he only had one more day in his Hell-hole and then he will be back with his friends at Hogwarts. Sure, she is coming with him but there will be more chances for him to not be around her at school than here.

With that happy thought in his head, Harry cuddled into his pillow and daydreamed about flying on his broom until sleep took over.

 **A/N: Thanks for reading! I hope you don't hate me too much :)**

 **Savoren.**


	6. Home Sweet Home

**Chapter Six:**

 **Home Sweet Home**

 **A/N: Sorry for the long wait! I hope you like this new chapter :)**

 **Once again, warning: OOC**

 **Savoren**

Harry woke up to the sound of his guardian knocking on his door. Sitting up, he glanced at the clock and let out a tired yawn as he stretched out his muscles. "I'm up!"

She gave one last pound on the door before barking out orders, "Get dressed and then get downstairs for breakfast! We need to be at the castle by 8 - that gives you an hour to get ready."

Cuddling back down into his blankets, Harry closed his eyes again. That gives him an hour to go back to sleep since he spent all day yesterday avoiding his guardian and packing to go back to school.

Instead of hearing foot steps leaving, he heard his bedroom door open and then a loud sigh. "I thought you said you were up, young man?"

Groaning, Harry slowly sat up and rubbed his eyes. "I am up."

Crossing her hands over her chest, Dolores gave him a firm look. "It's looked like you were going back to sleep."

Getting out of bed, Harry grabbed the outfit he laid out last night. "You said I have an hour. I'm already packed."

She shook her head and headed for the door, "That's not going to happen, Potter. Get dressed and then I expect you downstairs. Bring you luggage down with you. If we can leave early, we will."

 _Leave this Hell-hole early?_ Smiling, Harry hurried to get ready. He would do anything to get back to school and away from here.

With his luggage dragging behind him, Harry hurried into the kitchen fifteen minutes later. "I"m ready to leave!" Harry exclaimed, a huge smile gracing his lips.

Tilting the Daily Prophet to look at her ward, she smirked. "A bit excited to go back to school, are you?"

Harry nodded, "Yes, ma'am." Seeing her odd look, Harry added lamely, "I. . . I love to learn."

Shaking her head, Dolores pointed to his seat, "You need to eat breakfast before we leave because when we get to the castle I won't have time to feed you. When we get there we need to set the quarters up and then I have a meeting. After my meeting, which you will be attending, I need to go set up my office."

Harry quickly took his seat and filled the plate with eggs and ham, "Why do I need to go to the meeting?"

She returned to looking at the Daily Prophet as she answered, "I have important things that I need to tell everyone and I would prefer to only say it once. Also, I don't feel comfortable leaving you alone right away; who knows what you might do."

Harry sighed but stayed silent. Harry ate his breakfast quickly and when he finished he looked at his guardian expectantly.

Smirking, Dolores laid the Daily Prophet down and then stood. "Alright, Mr. Impatient. Let's get going." Shrinking her pink suitcases, she put them in her pockets and purse then headed toward the fireplace. Gesturing for Harry to stand beside her, she wrapped her arms around him and then dropped the floo powder, "Umbridge quarters, Hogwarts."

Harry closed his eyes as the green flames engulfed them.

* * *

"Rem please talk to me," Severus let out a deep, sad sigh. Remus has been ignoring him since he told him to sleep on the couch last night. "Look, I'm sorry, okay? What can I do to make you stop being mad at me?"

Remus finally looked up from his book, "Keep an eye on Harry. Do whatever it takes to find out the _truth_."

Severus nodded, "Alright, Rem."

Sighing, Remus laid his book down and stood. "I know you have to look at this from all the different angles but I'm telling you, Sev, something is wrong."

Pulling him into a hug, Severus placed a small kiss to the top of Remus' head. "I will watch him, Rem. I promise." After a seconds thought, he added, "Harry will be coming to school with Umbridge shortly, perhaps you can see him before the rest of the students arrive."

Remus nodded, "I hope so. Do you think she will make him go to the staff meeting?"

Severus shrugged, "Most likely because she has control issues. Remember that you need to come to the staff meeting as well. The staff need to know that you are living with me and I want to announce our engagement to everyone," Seeing Remus' huge smile, Severus continued, "I also need to let dad know that the Shrieking Shack will be off-limits so you can transform there."

Remus' eyes twinkled with delight, "You want to announce our engagement?"

Severus pulled Remus close, "Of course. I'm tired of this being a secret, Rem. You are the light of my life and I want _everyone_ to know."

Instead of answering, Remus pulled Severus closer and captured his lips.

* * *

Harry let out a soft sigh as he looked around his new bedroom. This room is nothing like the dorm in Gryffindor Tower! Dropping his luggage on the floor, Harry sat on the bed and bounced up and down. _Home sweet home. . ._

He looked around the four walled room, nothing about this room caught his attention. The walls are pure white, no window, the closet is small and the bedding is a plain blue. _At least it's not pink_.

Standing from the bed, he quickly started putting away the new clothes his guardian bought him. When that was done he tacked up some posters on the white walls and put away the rest of his belongings. Just when he finished there was a knock on his door. Sitting on his bed, he stared at the door and watched as his guardian opened it and stepped inside.

She looked around the small room and then gave a nod, "Good. I'm glad you put everything away properly. We need to go to the staff meeting now. Are you ready?"

Harry gave a small nod, he stayed silent.

She eyed him dangerous, "Do I need to remind you of the rules?"

Harry gave a small shake of his head and mumbled, "No m-mum."

Dolores leveled him with a stern look, "Silence is what, Mr. Potter?"

Harry dropped his eyes to the floor, "Key to my survival. . ."

Nodding, she gestured for him to stand. "Then let's get moving."

The walk to the staff lounge was silent and uncomfortable. Harry tried to focus on staring at the portraits and getting himself to relax. _This is home, I should be happy._ Entering the staff lounge, Harry could feel all eyes on him and he kept his eyes down and followed his guardian to the big table in the center of the room. He took the seat beside her and continued to keep his eyes downcast.

"It's wonderful to see you, Mr. Potter," Professor McGonagall said in a gentle voice.

Harry looked up at the woman who was sitting across from him. He offered her a small smile, "It's nice to see you too Professor." Feeling everyone's eyes on him made him feel uncomfortable. Deciding to face them, Harry looked at everyone that sat around the table, he couldn't help but feel surprised when he saw Remus sitting beside Snape.

Just then Headmaster Dumbledore entered the room and took his seat at the head of the table. He offered smiles to everyone and asked, "How was everyone's summer?"

Harry slouched a little in his seat and kept his eyes down.

After all the professors answered, Albus leveled his twinkling eyes on the young Gryffindor. "How about you, Harry? How was your summer?"

Surprised that he was spoken to, Harry sat up straighter and looked to his Headmaster, "It was okay." _Please stop putting the spot-light on me._

Dolores immediately gave him a firm look.

Gulping, Harry slouched a little and answered again, "It was okay, Headmaster. Thank you for asking." He wanted to disappear and escape all these looks!

Severus and Remus exchanged frowns but before either could say something, Albus continued with the meeting, "Does anyone have any announcements to make before I begin the annual meeting?"

Poppy immediately rose her hand and once Albus nodded to her, she made her announcement. "This year we are going to start running diagnostic scans on all the first years."

Severus frowned, "Why not all the students?"

Poppy knew someone was going to ask that, "It will only be mandatory for all first years. If any of the professors feel as if a student, other than a first year, needs to be scanned then come to me with their name and I will perform the diagnostic." With that said, she sat back down and let her eyes wander over to Harry.

Feeling her eyes on him, Harry shrunk a little more. _If she scans me, she will see everything Umbridge has done to me. But, if she scans me, Umbridge will destroy her_. _I'm never going to win this._

Harry became distracted as he watched Remus and Snape stand up. Curious, Harry sat up a little and looked at the man he admires.

Fully knowing everyone's eyes were on them, including Harry's, Remus took Severus' hand and gave it an encouraging squeeze. He stared at Harry and watched as his eyes went wide in understanding. Remus found his voice and said, "Many of you are probably wondering why I am here." He looked to Severus, "Severus and I have been dating for a long time now." He noticed looks of shock fall over most of the staffs faces.

Severus gave Remus' hand a squeeze back, "The other month I asked him to marry me and he said yes. Since he is now technically my family, as it is stated in the staff handbook, he is allowed to share my quarters with me."

Smiling broadly, Sybil clapped her hands and stood. "I am so happy for you two! You know, I had a feeling something was up between you two!" The rest of the staff quickly joined in their excitement.

Severus let out a breath a relief he didn't realize he was holding. Leaning against Remus, he looked to his father and noticed he wasn't looking at them. Feeling his heart fall a little, Severus took his seat and pulled Remus down into the other seat.

Once everyone was seated, Albus moved on, "Any other announcements?"

Dolores made a girly noise to gain their attention. Once everyone was looking at her, she stood and said, "I'm sure everyone knows by now who I am." At their silence, she continued, "I have been placed here by the Minister to put this school back in order. As you know, I am also the guardian of Mr. Potter. If he finds himself in trouble, no matter the amount, bring him to me and I will deal with it. My job is to straighten out both this school and Mr. Potter. Do not question my authority unless you want trouble with the Minister. The Minister has given me permission to set new rules and dismiss any professor that are inadequate. Any questions that you have can be taken to the Minister." With that, she sat back down.

Silence fell over the staff for a few minutes before Albus clapped his hands together and started the annual meeting. Harry slouched further in his seat and tuned them out. Honestly he couldn't think of anything else except the fact that Remus is going to marry the bat of the dungeons. He couldn't shake the feelings of hurt; shouldn't Remus realize how much of an asshole Snape is to him? Does he not care about Harry's feelings?

* * *

Once the meeting was over, Dolores stood and leveled Harry with a stern look, "I am going to my office to decorate it. Since you have behaved yourself so well, you may go wander the castle and visit your smelly owl. I expect you home for supper though. Remember the rules and do _not_ be late. Am I understood, young man?"

Harry quickly nodded, excited to get away from her. "Yes, ma'am." Seeing her immediate glare, Harry fixed himself, "Yes, mum." He felt nauseous as every single staff member turned to look at them, they heard him call her mum. Blushing fiercely, Harry dropped his eyes to his feet.

Tapping his chin, Dolores forced him to look up, "Behave yourself."

Taking that as a cue to leave, Harry hurried off and ran out of the staff lounge.

Remus and Severus immediately followed after the young boy.

"Harry!" Remus yelled at the running boy.

Harry slid to a halt and turned to look at the man he looks up to. Seeing Snape beside him, Harry frowned. "What?!" His feelings of hurt are starting to come out as anger.

Remus and Severus hurried to close the gap, "How are you?"

Harry frowned at the question, "Fine." _Please don't pressure me_ _, I'm doing this to protect you._

Severus quirked an eyebrow at the boy. "Don't lie, Harry James."

Shocked, Harry looked at his Potions professor. "You just. . ." He shook himself and looked back at Remus, ignoring Snape all-together, "I said I'm fine. Look, I need to go see Hedwig."

Remus reached out and stopped him, "Are you upset about Severus and I?"

Harry shook his head, "You love whoever you love, Remus. It's just. . . It's just confusing to me." Harry looked to Snape, "You probably see a side of him that I don't know." _Where did that come from?!_

Severus sighed and was about to explain himself when Harry pulled his arm out of Remus' grip and started down the hall again, "I have things I need to do and I need to be home before supper."

Remus wouldn't let him go just like that. He hurried to walk beside him, "And what will happen if you are late?" He immediately took notice of Harry's paled face.

Harry shrugged, "Well, it's not like you didn't see it the other day."

Stopping him, Remus looked him in the eyes, "I'm sorry for that, Harry. I really am."

Harry glared at the floor, "Snape might tell everyone."

Remus looked down the hall at where Severus stood, "He won't, Harry. Severus isn't the man you know him as. He had to pretend to be an asshole - he's actually very kind and loving. He cares about you."

Harry snorted, "Right."

Grabbing Harry's chin, Remus noticed as Harry flinched and pulled back. Remus frowned, "What's wrong with your chin?"

Harry stepped away and shook his head, "Nothing. I'm fine!"

Looking closer at the boy's face, Remus clenched his jaw. "Are you wearing a glamour?"

Feeling his heart begin to race, Harry shook his head again and started walking away, "Stop being ridiculous, Remus." Before he could remove his glamour, Harry sprinted down the corridor and away from the two men.

Remus shook his head as he went back to Severus, "He has a glamour on, Severus!"

Frowning, Severus looked to where Harry disappeared to. "We will remove it later tonight. Have patience, Rem. It's going to be okay."

Remus sighed and shook his head, "Why won't he just talk to me about it?"

Grabbing his lover's hand, Severus gave it a squeeze. "She probably has him scared shitless, Rem."

Growling in his throat, Remus snarled, "I will slaughter her if she has hurt my cub."

Severus nodded, "I know, Rem. I know. Come on, Harry needs some space. Why don't you come help me organize the ingredients cabinet?"

Remus slowly followed Severus to the dungeons, his mind lost in thought.

 **A/N: Thanks for reading!**

 **Savoren.**


	7. Suspicions

**Chapter Seven:**

 **Suspicions  
**

 **A/N: Thanks for reading and reviewing! This story will be wrapped up (probably by chapter 10) so if you want a sequel let me know :)**

 **Remember: Things get harder before they get easier ;) don't hate me. . .**

 **Savoren.**

Harry glanced at his watch and let out a panicked cry. He is ten minutes late for them to leave for supper and he still needs to get cleaned up!

With his heart pounding away in his chest, Harry hurried to say goodbye to Hedwig and then ran off towards the teacher wing. As he slid around a corner he ran into Professor McGonagall. With his eyes locked on the floor he quickly apologized and tried to keep running on.

Minerva pursed her lips together into a tight line, "Mr. Potter!" When he froze a good ten feet away from her, she smirked, satisfied that he listened. As she closed the gap between herself and her student she wracked her brain as to why the boy was in such a hurry. "You know better than to run in the corridors, Mr. Potter. Why are you in such a rush?"

His racing heart started to ache. He gave a fast shake of his head, "Look, I'm sorry, Professor McGonagall but I _need_ to go. I'm late!"

Taking in his pale face and panicked expression, Minerva took pity on the boy. "Here, I will walk you home. Perhaps she will be lenient with you if I tell her that you were with me."

Biting his lip, Harry stayed silent but walked with her anyway. _She's going to kill me._

Glancing to the side, Minerva eyed the boy closely. "Merlin, Mr. Potter, take a deep breath and get a hold of your breathing. You're acting as if being late for supper is the end of the world." When Harry didn't respond she pushed further, "How much trouble are you going to be in?" She scanned his face closely and frowned when she noticed his face pale even more. "Well, Mr. Potter?"

Taking in a shuddering breath, Harry mumbled, "Just a lot." He started to feel fidgety and impatient: _Why are we walking so damn slow?!_

Minerva's frown deepened, "Details, Mr. Potter."

Harry glanced at her, a frown etched on his face. "Why?" _Silence is key to my survival,_ he mentally reminded himself.

She let out a deep sigh, almost as if to tell Harry that his question is ridiculous and he should already know the answer. "Why? So I can talk her out of it or talk her into giving you a lesser punishment."

Harry nibbled on the bottom of his lip as he thought through what she said to him. "Why are you doing this for me?" He looked up at her, finally locking eyes.

She stared into his fear-filled emerald eyes and felt her heart clench with worry. "I find it unfair that you were taken out of your muggle home and given to a heartless woman like your guardian. She is strict and down-right terrifying. I trust her with you as much as I'd trust He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named babysitting my great-nieces and nephews!" Her heart clenched with worry as she watched Harry look away.

Passing the portrait of lions (the entrance to her own private quarters), Minerva knew they would be arriving at the Umbridge quarters soon. She eyed him closely and slowed her pace, asking, "Do you like living with her, Mr. Potter?"

Coming to the portrait of a kitten, Harry sighed as he watched the kitten disappear through the cat-door, probably to go tell Umbridge that he was finally home (she can speak cat, right? Probably.) Knowing the portrait would be thrown open at any second, Harry turned and looked at his Head of House to answer her question. He shook his head and whispered, "I hate it."

Before Minerva could reply to her student the portrait threw open to reveal an irate woman. Minerva forced herself not to shrink away, if Harry has to face this woman every single day, she can face her now. "I'm sorry Mr. Potter is late, he-" she lost her voice as she watched with wide-eyes as Umbridge snatched out and spun Harry to the side, landing a dozen of hard smacks against his bottom.

Embarrassed and ashamed, Harry dropped his eyes and blinked hard to keep the tears from falling. "I-I'm-" he was cut off as she grabbed his ear in a death-grip and pulled him closer to her. If he let his guard down he would be visibly shaking in fear.

She glared daggers at him, "What rule do we have in this family, Harry James Potter?!" When he didn't answer right away she pinched his ear harder.

Tears burned his eyes and, much to his embarrassment, a few started to make their way down his cheeks. He forced himself not to look at his Head of House because if he did he would probably throw up from embarrassment! "D-don't be late, m-mum."

Minerva felt as if she would never get used to hearing Potter calling this retched woman his mum but right now she had more worrisome issues than what Potter was calling his guardian.

Pushing him inside the quarters, Dolores shouted after him,"Get in there and clean yourself up! We are going to be late! You have no idea how much trouble you are in young man!" She finally stopped yelling and let out a deep, ragged breath. Looking at her co-worker, Dolores let out a tired sigh, "Thank you for bringing him home." She narrowed her eyes at Harry when he didn't move.

The piercing look made Harry run for it. He hurried into the quarters and rushed to get cleaned up for supper.

Finally pulling herself out of her shocked stance, Minerva glared at her, "Surely you won't be punishing him more?"

Dolores glared right back and stood up straighter to make herself feel taller, "Mr. Potter's punishment is not even close to being finished. It would be best if you stayed out of my family's business. Potter knew the rules and yet he blatantly disobeyed them. He now has the face the punishment for his actions." Before the lady could keep talking, Dolores slammed the portrait shut and stomped into the living room. she paced back and forth, impatiently waiting for her ward to come out from cleaning up.

* * *

Albus felt himself growing rather annoyed that every single one of his Professors have came to him with their concerns about Harry Potter. _I don't have time for this, I need to keep my hands clean._ "What now, Minerva?" He continued to walk in a brisk pace down the long corridor. They have less than three minutes to get to the Great Hall for supper.

Minerva glared at him, "What is wrong with you, Albus?! This is _Harry_ we are talking about! She hurt him!"

Albus made no expression so show he seemed worried, "Punishments tend to hurt, Minerva."

Angry, she snatched out and grabbed his forearm, forcing him to stop. "Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore!"

Fully chastised, Albus stopped walking and rose his eyebrows at her. "Yes, Minerva?"

"She was violent with him! Yes, a spanking is well-deserved sometimes but she was heartless about it and pinched his ear in a vicious grip. This was harsher than should have been, Albus!" Minerva tried to express her concern but only felt herself growing frustrated by his lack of empathy and understanding. "Just watch my memory! You will understand once you see it! She's a horrendous woman, Albus! You need to get her out of this castle, the students don't deserve to deal with her."

Albus huffed and resumed his walking. "You know I cannot do anything about Dolores Umbridge, Minerva - stop pressing the issue. As for your memory, I will get Severus and Remus. After supper we will go to my office and pull your memory to investigate it. _If_ what I see is troubling to me then I will confront her. However, if what I see is only a punishment then we will leave the issue be. Am I understood, Minerva? Harry is but a teenager, he makes mistakes and has to face the consequences sometimes."

Minerva stared at him, confused with how he is acting. "I thought you loved him like a son, Albus. Why are you acting this way towards him? You're distancing yourself when he needs you the most."

Albus opened the Great Hall doors and waited for her to enter first. "I do love him, Minerva, but there is _nothing_ I can do."

Minerva glared at him and snapped under her breath so the students didn't hear her, "You _can_ do something about it but you're choosing to be a coward!" With that she stomped up to the Head Table and took her seat.

Sighing, Albus glanced at the students near them, his eyes briefly locking with Hermione Granger's before he hurried up to his seat. There is still an entire sorting to sit through yet and he already wanted to return to his quarters and drown himself in a bottle of rum.

* * *

Glancing at the clock on the fireplace mantel, Dolores pursed her lips and glared down at the crying boy bent over the back of the couch. "You may stand and compose yourself, Mr. Potter. I want you to go wash your face off while I return the cane to my office. As soon as I return we need to leave for the Great Hall." She watched as Harry ran off toward the loo, tears still streaming down his pink cheeks. Letting out a deep, tired sigh, Dolores picked the cane back up and swished it through the air once, walking toward her office. "Teenagers are hard to raise," she mumbled.

In the loo Harry scrubbed at his face with cold water, trying to ignore the painful thumping in his backside. _I hate how I can never tell what kind of punishment I'm going to get. Why can't she just stick with one thing? How was being late worthy of the cane but lying to her about being awake this morning didn't warrant anything? Why doesn't anything ever make sense?!_

His thoughts were interrupted by a pounding on the loo door, "Potter hurry up! The First Years are probably already finished being sorted by now!" There was a moments pause before she snapped, "Don't make me come in there, Harry James!"

Shuddering in fear, Harry looked at his reflection in the mirror. _Life sucks._ Drying his face off quickly, he opened the loo door and stepped past his annoyed guardian. "I'm sorry, m-mum."

Dolores didn't respond, instead she spun on her heel and led Harry out of their quarters.

The walk to the Great Hall was silent and highly uncomfortable for Harry. As they approached the doors, Dolores abruptly stopped and gripped Harry's forearm causing him to wince in pain. She glared at him fiercely and said between clenched teeth, her grip all the while tightening, "I'm going to let you sit with your friends tonight. Screw up, Potter, and you'll be seated at my side for the rest of the school year. Am I clear?"

Whimpering, Harry tried to free his arm, "I understand, m-mum. P-please, you're hurting me!"

She immediately let his arm go but leveled him with a stern look, "Silence, Potter. Never forget it!" With that, she opened the Great Hall doors and entered.

Harry immediately felt awkward as the hall fell silent and everyone turned to stare at them. His eyes traveled the Gryffindor table until they landed on his best friends; he hurried to the empty spot between them and gently lowered himself down on the bench. He forced the pain to not show on his face.

He didn't have time to fully make himself comfortable as Hermione jumped him with questions, "Why haven't you responded to any of our letters?! Mr. Weasley had to tell us where you were! Do you have _any_ idea how worried we were?!"

Harry cringed, _Why do I keep getting yelled at?_ "Look, I'm sorry, okay? I wasn't allowed."

Ron moved his glare to the pink toad-looking woman sitting at the Head Table. "What a bitch."

Shifting his weight on the bench, Harry let out a deep sigh and looked down the table, "How many new cubs did we get?"

Hermione eyed his movements closely, a suspicious look etched on her face. "Six."

Harry cringed at her look, "Stop staring at me like that."

"What's wrong with you? Why do you keep moving?" Hermione demanded.

Intrigued, Ron eyed him closer. "You're acting like you got your ass blistered," seeing his best friend's face turn a bright red, Ron's eyes went wide and he immediately tried to fix his mistake. "Which is perfectly normal when you have strict parents! Trust me. I got my butt handed to me just a few weeks ago." He glanced at Hermione, hoping she would contribute.

Hermione frowned, not understanding what Ron wanted her to do. "I don't think that's normal. . . I've never been hit by my parents! Grounded, sure, but never sp- um, hit."

Still blushing deeply, Harry dropped his eyes to the table, no longer hungry.

Ron glared at her, "Gee, thanks Hermione." Looking back at his best mate, Ron reassured him, "Honestly, Harry, it's normal. Nothing about Hermione is normal so don't take her word for it, okay?" Finally, he made a smile grow on Harry's sad face. He smiled, satisfied with himself. "What did you do?"

Harry glanced around them to make sure they hadn't caught anyone's attention, then he answered him. "I was late."

Ron frowned and glanced at Hermione. "What else?"

Now it was Harry's turn to frown. "Nothing?"

Hermione bit her lip, "Seriously?"

Harry huffed, "What is wrong with you two?"

"Well, that's not a good enough reason to get punished like that, mate," Ron answered.

The food finally appeared and Harry took this moment to get them to stop talking about the awkward situation, "Foods here, time to eat!"

Ron sighed and exchanged another tired worried look with Hermione. "Is she abusing you? You realize that there is a fine line between abuse and corporal punishment, right?"

Harry nodded as he filled his plate, "I'm done discussing this, Ron."

They fell into an uncomfortable silence for a while until they had less than five minutes left of supper.

"Are you coming back to the Gryffindor Tower?" Hermione asked and then finished off the rest of her cup of pumpkin juice.

Harry shook his head, "I have to sleep in my room in the teacher wing."

Ron's eyes shined with curiosity, "What does that wing look like? Does Snape live there too or does he live in the dungeons?"

Harry sighed and rubbed his eyes, "Um, I think so. I think they all live there."

Before Ron could reply Harry felt a hand land on his shoulder. Turning, he frowned deeply when he saw Snape standing behind him. "Yes, Professor?" _Why is his hand STILL on my shoulder?_

Severus eyed the boy closely, concern obvious on his face as he eyed him up and down, "You need to come with the Headmaster, Professor McGonagall, Mr. Lupin and I to the Headmaster's office."

Harry bit his lip and glanced toward his guardian, "I have to go home after this." _I already got in trouble once._

Understanding, Severus quickly reassured him, "Your guardian already knows. I promised to have you home before lights out."

 _He STILL has his hand on my shoulder!_ Harry fidgeted a little, "Yes, sir."

Realizing he was still touching the boy, Severus immediately removed his hand and took a step back. "Then come, Potter, we have much to discuss."

Sighing, Harry carefully stood from the uncomfortable bench and headed for the Great Hall doors, fully aware that he was being watched by all four adults _and_ his guardian.

 **A/N: Thanks for reading! I know I stopped at an odd spot but I wanted to get this out here and I have an exam to study for :)**

 **Savoren.**


	8. Truth Comes Out

**Chapter Eight:**

 **Truth Comes Out**

 **A/N: Thanks for reading and reviewing! Updating is my attempt at procrastinating with studying.**

 **I keep forgetting to tell everyone but I created a Hex account (Hogwarts Extreme) and my username is Savoren - feel free to add me as your Hogfriend! :]**

 **Savoren**

 **P.s: Good luck to all of you for Hell Week - may the curve be ever in your favor!**

The back of his neck pricked and made him shiver with anxiety. _I wish they would stop staring at me! What do they even want anyway? Where is Dumbledore?!_ He let out an annoyed huff and fidgeted for the umpteenth time.

"Why can't you sit still, Harry?" Remus questioned in a soft, caring voice. He had been watching Harry carefully since they arrived at the Headmaster's office ten minutes ago. On their way to the office Albus was pulled away by Madam Pomfrey for "important matters that cannot wait."

Harry shifted again, immediately feeling more uncomfortable. _Silence is key to my survival._ Harry chose to keep his mouth clamped shut.

Remus sighed and looked to Severus and Minerva.

Taking the cue, Minerva stood and walked over to her cub. She gently placed a hand on his knee and knelt down to his level, her knees cracking. "What happened, dear?"

Biting the inside of his lips, Harry closed his eyes. His heart felt as if it was going to hammer out of his chest. _Why can't they just leave me be? Why are they trying to make this harder on me?! Don't they understand I'm protecting them?!_

Severus frowned, the emotions of the fifteen-year old boy raced across his face. _Potter is an open book._ "Why are you afraid of your guardian, Po-" he cleared his throat and fixed the name, "Harry?"

Hearing his first name coming from his most hated professor, Harry's eyes flew open in shock.

Severus took a step closer and helped Minerva stand back up from her kneeling position. He then took Minerva's place. Forcing himself to show the boy he cared, Severus placed a gentle hand on Harry's shoulder and looked into his emerald eyes. "Trust us, Harry."

Harry could feel his eyes burning with tears, "I want to."

"But?" Severus pushed, he refused to lose eye-contact.

A tear started to trickle down his cheek and he furiously wiped at it. "I can't."

Remus immediately moved closer and knelt beside Severus. He put his hand on Harry's knee, "You can always trust us, cub."

Closing his eyes, Harry angrily shook his head. "No! You don't understand!"

Minerva too stepped closer, "Then help us understand, dear."

Severus didn't wait for Harry to respond. Instead, he made sure his eyes were locked with Harry's and said, "If you are trying to protect us from something, you don't have to. We can protect ourselves. If you are trying to protect yourself, we can protect you as well. But you need to trust us, Harry. Can you do that?"

 _NO! THEY CAN'T PROTECT THEMSELVES FROM HER! She is the Ministry. No one can run from the Ministry. . . She will destroy all of them just because they care about me. I can't let that happen!_ Harry shook his head and pulled away from all their hands, "I'm fine! Please stop!" Just then Dumbledore entered the office and Harry spun to glare at him, "What is the point of me being here because I'm already sick of it!"

Taken back by the teenager's anger, Albus glanced at the adults in the room. "What did you do to him?"

Irritated, Harry jumped up from the seat and started pacing back and forth, ignoring the thumping in his backside. "I want to go home. Can we please get this over with?!"

Albus rose an eyebrow at the boy, "Mind your tongue, Mr. Potter. Remember who you are speaking to."

Harry rolled his eyes, _No one can scare me as much as my guardian - good try though Bumble!_

Minerva exchanged shocked looks with the adults, "Mr. Potter, we understand that you are upset but you need to reign your attitude in."

Harry kept pacing, obviously passed thinking logically. "No, I don't think any of you understand _anything!_ "

"Mr. Potter! Shall I contact your guardian?" Severus snapped dangerously. Even as he said it though he watched Harry's reaction carefully, hoping to see some hint to the boy's turmoil. He wasn't disappointed when he noticed Harry's face pale and his pacing immediately came to a halt. If he looked close enough he could see fear on his face.

Dropping his eyes, Harry slowly returned to his seat and carefully sat down. "No," he mumbled, eyes locked on the floor.

Seeing a way in, Severus pressed on, "Why not?"

Looking up, Harry glared at the man. "Surely you haven't forgotten so quickly?"

Knowing what he was referring to, Severus sighed. "So you are afraid of a spanking?" Seeing Harry's eyes flash with anger, Severus asked, "Or, are you afraid of a beating?"

Feeling his mouth go dry, Harry quickly tried to hide himself behind a mask. "N-no." Even saying it, Harry knew his voice quivered in fear.

Albus let out a tired sigh, "I don't have time for this, Mr. Potter. Tell the _truth_!"

Harry threw a deadly glare at the Headmaster. Standing, he headed for the office door, "You're an ass; I can't believe I _ever_ looked up to you! If you don't have time for me then I don't have time for you!" With that he slammed the office door shut behind him. He wanted to scream, to break something but he didn't. Instead, Harry ran outside to the Black Lake.

* * *

In the office, Albus found himself surrounded by three highly pissed-off adults.

"How could you say that to him?!" Minerva shouted, her shoulders shook in fury.

Albus immediately took a step away from his wife. "He wasn't answering the questions, Min!"

Reaching out, Minerva landed a sharp slap across Albus' cheek. "No! Don't you _dare_ call me Min, Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore! Until you get your act together and fix the damage you have created don't you dare even _think_ about coming to the quarters!"

Knowing his mother's anger was appropriate but also knowing that they needed answers, Severus stepped between his parents. "Enough!" Looking to his mum, he said, "I know he screwed up, mum. I know! You can scream at him all you want later, okay? Right now we need to look at your memory and then we need to go find Harry!"

With one last furious look to her husband, Minerva walked over to the pensieve and pulled out the memory from earlier.

When they emerged from the memory Severus and Remus began pacing impatiently.

"See what I mean, Albus? She was _vicious!_ " Minerva exclaimed, her heart racing with anxiety for the fifteen-year old boy.

With a sinking feeling in his heart, Albus immediately regretted his words to the Gryffindor. "I agree, Min. What we just witnessed was troubling."

Severus paced back and forth, wringing his hands (imagining her neck between them as he strangled her). "She's abusing him, dad. You need to contact the authorities!"

Albus let out a sigh and took a sudden step back when three sets of vicious eyes glared at him. "I just think we need to get confirmation from Harry before we jump to conclusions. Sometimes adults make mistakes and are harsher than they mean to be." Seeing his wife's rage-filled eyes, Albus raised his hands in surrender, "I'm just saying we need confirmation before we demand her arrest."

Hating the man more and more with every passing second, Remus strode to the office door. "Fine! Let's go find my cub and get the damn confirmation you need!"

Severus quickly followed after his lover, knowing his parents would come as well.

* * *

With all of his might Harry threw the rock into the lake, letting out a furious scream. When that didn't help release all of his rage Harry stepped into the water and began kicking and stomping.

This lasted a few minutes before he finally wore himself out.

Closing his eyes, Harry didn't bother to get out of the ankle-deep water. He focused on the sounds of nature as he tried to slow his breathing. Through his clenched eyelids a few tears trickled out. Like a damn breaking open, his tears fell one after another. He didn't bother to try to calm himself, instead he allowed himself to break. Sobbing his heart out, Harry closed his eyes again and let his shoulders slump with defeat.

Harry never thought his heart could ache this bad, it felt as if ripping it out of his chest would be less painful than the thumping, helpless feeling now.

Shoulders shaking, Harry wiped away at his snotty nose and choked as he tried to catch his breath.

 _If silence is key to my survival then why is it killing me?_

* * *

As they exited the castle, they scanned the grounds until all of their eyes landed on the boy standing in the Black Lake.

Seeing his cub sobbing in the water, Remus sprinted in after him. Once at his side Remus pulled him tight against his chest and held him. "I'm here, Harry. I'm here! It's going to be alright; I promise."

Harry shook his head, unable to slow his tears. He hid his face into Remus' chest and cried out, "No it won't be! Silence is key-" he choked on his words. "S-silence is key to my s-survival! I c-can't! I'm so s-s-sorry, Remus!"

Remus' eyes went wide at the words he heard tumble out of his cub's mouth. "What do you mean, cub? It's okay to tell me."

Harry shook his head, "She'll d-destroy you and it'll be all my fault! I can't!"

Pulling Harry back just enough to gently take hold of his chin and look him in the eyes, Remus made sure his voice was gentle as he said, "I can hold my own against a toad, cub."

This did not make Harry feel any better. "She's the ministry, Remus! Please just stop asking. I c-can't tell you! Please!"

Making his voice harder, Remus reassured him, "No, Harry." Eyeing him closely, Remus asked, "Do you trust me?"

Sniffling and desperately trying to wipe away all of his tears, Harry nodded. "Y-yes!" _I don't trust her!_

"Then trust me now, cub. Please? I can take care of you. I can take care of Her. I can take care of myself. All you need to do is _trust_ me! Can you do that for me, cub? Please?"

Looking toward the shore-line, Harry immediately felt his tears starting up again when he saw three very worried looking adults: Dumbledore, McGonagall _and_ Snape!

When he didn't reply Remus gently moved his chin so he was, once again, looking in his eyes. "Will you give me your troubles, cub?"

Dropping his eyes, Harry weighed his options. Terror made his body shake as he thought about breaking his silence but carrying this all by himself is so _heavy_! It would be nice to hand it over to someone else for a while.

Shaking, Harry opened his mouth to speak but nothing came out - his vocal chords frozen in fear.

Kneeling, Remus pulled him closer and opened his heart. "Trust me, son."

Harry snapped his head up, fresh tears sparkling in his emerald eyes. "Y-you called me son. . ."

Remus nodded, his heart hammered away in his chest, hoping Harry wouldn't push him away. "I love you, Harry. Please let me take care of you?"

Opening his mouth to speak, Harry felt his lips trembling. He didn't know what to do with all of the emotions that are tumbling inside of him! He stared at Remus, eyeing him closely to make sure he wasn't lying or playing a nasty trick on him.

When he didn't respond, Remus felt his heart begin to drop. "Harry?"

Hearing the sadness in Remus' voice, Harry stepped closer and wrapped his arms around him. "I love you too, Remus." His voice cracked as he said the last word.

Holding him tight, Remus whispered, "Then please tell me, Harry. Is she -" he closed his eyes, praying Harry would finally open up to him. "Is she abusing you?"

Choking on a sob, Harry grabbed on to Remus' robes with both fists and hid his face against him. With his eyes clenched tight, Harry threw caution to the wind and quickly nodded his head against Remus.

Heart breaking at Harry's answer, Remus tried to reign in his emotions. Right now he needs to be supportive and not lose himself in his emotions. Rubbing Harry's back, Remus tried to continue soothing him. "You don't have to be afraid anymore, son. Everything will be okay." He felt Harry's body go limp against him and he immediately held him up so he wouldn't fall into the water. The only reason he knew he hadn't passed out was the sound of Harry's heart-wrenching sobs.

Remus stood still and continued to rub Harry's back, whispering words of love and encouragement. "I'm proud of you, Harry. Thank you for trusting me." Holding Harry tight against him, Remus turned to look at the bystanders. He nodded toward them, signaling the truth they all, deep down, knew.

Remus sighed softly as he watched his furious fiance stomp off toward the castle, looking as if he was ready to kill.

 **A/N: Thanks for reading! Don't judge me for procrastinating - college sucks. I just want to be home cooking Christmas cookies and** _ **not**_ **doing homework.**

 **Savoren.**


	9. Revenge

**Chapter Nine:**

 **Revenge**

 **A/N: Thanks for reading and reviewing!**

 **Sorry for the long wait! My computer died during Finals week (in the middle of an essay!) and I had to wait to get a new one for Christmas (came late - today to be exact) I have been writing by hand in a notebook though so you will be getting updates :) This computer is a little weird though so I need to figure it out - it's awkward to type on but I will get used to it.**

 **I hope everyone had a good week of finals and had an amazing holiday!**

 **Savoren.**

"BOMBARDA!" The pink door splintered into thousands of tiny pieces. Fury blinded Severus as he strode into the office, robes billowing ominously behind him. His eyes locked with the cowering woman behind the desk and he leveled his wand on her heart. "Give me a reason to not end your life," his silky whisper sent ice through the woman's veins. His wand hand twitched with anticipation, wanting to see the light of life leave her eyes.

Standing from her chair, she clutched a hand over her heart and stumbled back in fear. "I-I certainly don't know what you mean, S-Snape. As Inquisitor of the Ministry, you have no right to threaten me!"

He closed the gap between them in a matter of seconds, shoving the tip of his wand into her cheek. With clenched teeth he glared into the very depths of her soul. "I would do the same to the Minister himself if he abused a child!"

Moving her head away, she leveled him with a courageous glare. "I have no clue what are you talking about, Snape. Get out of my office before I call Aurors on you for threatening my life!"

His patience for her snapped and in a matter of seconds; a red flash shot from his wand and hit her body, making her scream out. Severus rolled his eyes at the pathetic sight, he only hit her with a stinging curse - not the bloody Cruciatus (like she truly deserved!). Lifting the spell, he flicked his wand again, binding her in tight ropes. "I would kill you if I didn't have two other people that need me."

Before Severus could say anything else, four other adults ran into the ruined office: Kingsley Shacklebolt, Alastor Moody, Amelia Bones and Albus Dumbledore. All four had their wands raised, ready to fight in case she gave them a problem. Seeing her bind, they lowered their wands and looked to Severus.

Instead of answering the unvoiced question, Severus pointed to the woman and demanded, "Copy her memories!" He watched as Amelia Bones immediately started doing as he instructed. Looking to his father, Severus asked, "Where is Harry, Remus and mother?"

Albus kept his eyes locked on Umbridge and Bones as he answered in a tired voice, "The Infirmary. Poppy will be writing up the paperwork of her findings. Everyone here has been informed of her abuse and even the Minister is feeling grave about his decisions."

Wanting to go check on Harry, Severus started for the door and muttered, "What about you, father? Feeling grave for your blindness?"

Albus sighed sadly and watched Severus leave.

* * *

Harry tried to wrap the robe tighter around his body, feeling extremely uncomfortable with only a robe covering his naked body and being surrounded by three adults.

Poppy kept her voice gentle as she walked closer to him, "Alright, dear, I'm going to remove the glamours now. Be still, please."

Clenching his eyes tight, Harry pulled his knees up to his chest and quickly tried to make sure his bottom is still covered. Not only does his body feel exposed but any second his bruises will be exposed. He clenched his eyes shut even tighter, scared sick.

Minerva gently took Harry's hand and gave it a comforting squeeze. Looking to Poppy, she nodded to motion that it is time to remove the glamours.

With a swift wave of her wand, the glamours disappeared exposing bruises and the healing lip. She bit her lip to not make a sound, not wanting to scare the boy even more than he already is.

Minerva's grip on Harry's hand immediately tightened as she felt her heart begin to race. "She is going to pay for this, Harry. I promise!"

Infuriated at the sight, Remus began pacing back and forth. Thoughts of revenge raced through his mind. He had be silently supportive this whole time and now his silence seems to be eating away at him - he wants to scream out furiously! _She will die._ He could feel himself beginning to shake, the wolf starting to take over. He slowly closed his eyes and took in a deep, calming breath. _It would not do Harry any good if I flipped. He needs me to be supportive - not a maniac._

Fully aware of Harry's embarrassment, Poppy hurried to document all of the injuries and heal them. She gasped as she read the long list. She looked at Harry and asked, horror evident in her voice and eyes filled to the brim with burning tears, "She used the Cruciatus on you?"

Shame bubbled inside him and he felt like throwing up. Hiding his face in his hands, Harry tried to block everyone out. _This can't be happening! Any second I'm going to wake up from this nightmare and it will be alright!_

Seeing Severus enter the Infirmary, Remus hurried to his side and clutched his hand. "Is she taken care of?"

Severus nodded and looked at the shaking boy. His heart clenched at the sight. "The Aurors will take her away to interrogate her and inspect the memories. Justice will be served, Rem."

Finished, Poppy handed Harry his clothes and pulled the curtain shut, "You may put your clothes back on, Harry." She looked to Severus and Remus, "He is exhausted - mentally _and_ physically. I would say he can sleep here but I know Harry hates it here. He would be more comfortable with you, Remus."

Coming closer to the bed, Remus nodded, "We will take him home. I assure you, he will be taken care of."

Without waiting for a response, Severus clapped his hands and his personal House Elf, Mixie, popped to his side. He waited until she finished bowing before giving her instructions. "I need you to set up the guest room. Please change the bedding, turn on the fireplace and shrink a pair of my pajamas for young Mr. Potter."

Mixie bowed low, "Yes Master Snape." She disappeared with a pop.

Remus squeezed his hand tighter, "Thank you, Sev."

In reply, Severus leaned over and placed a small kiss to Remus' forehead. "Anything to help." Taking the list from Poppy he quickly skimmed the injuries.

Behind the curtain Harry pulled on his shirt and sat back down - not ready to come out from behind the safety of the curtain. _They are all looking at me with such pity, I hate it. Why can't they just let it go? It happened, send her to Azkaban and let me go back to my relatives like nothing happened._

Severus stared at the closed curtain knowing that behind is a trembling boy. Harry has yet to speak a word since he entered the Infirmary and this sincerely worried him. _He is only a boy - what if he is mentally damaged? What if he never trusts another adult again?_ He reached out to take the edge of the curtain but paused, _What if we never get Harry back? What if he is changed forever?_

Severus shook his head, forcing his racing thoughts to come to a stop. It won't do Harry any good to think of all the negative possibilities that could possibly happen. "Harry, are you ready for the curtain to open?" He waited, his hand clutching the edge of the curtain - ready to open it as soon as Harry gives the go-ahead. After a few minutes of silence, Severus slowly pulled the curtain and peeked inside to make sure the boy was dressed. Once he knew Harry wouldn't be embarrassed if he opened the curtain the whole way, Severus opened it.

Quickly, Remus hurried to Harry's side. Kneeling down, he tried to look in Harry's eyes but Harry refused to make eye contact. It looked as if Harry's cheeks were permanently pink from embarrassment and Remus could practically feel the anxiety radiating off the boy.

Harry felt like he could throw up. Bile began to rise in his throat as the reality of his entire situation hit him full force. _She can't hurt me anymore but everyone knows what I let her do to me! I could have stopped it all. I should have! I am the Boy-Who-Lived and now everyone will know she beat me like a helpless little baby. I'm pathetic and a disgrace! I don't deserve to be the famous Boy-Who-Lived. . ._

Severus could see all the thoughts racing through Harry's mind and what he saw greatly disturbed him. Instead of saying anything though, Severus turned to Poppy and handed her back Harry's file. "May we take him now?"

Poppy nodded, still staring at the young Gryffindor. "You may. However, I want you to keep a close eye on him. I believe him to be in shock at the moment but when he comes out, he may be highly upset." Handing Severus a bottle of healing cream, she said, "Have this rubbed into his injuries before he goes to bed tonight and when he wakes up in the morning. As you already know, Severus, the cream will prevent any scars. Also, after he has a healthy, filling breakfast in the morning I need him to return to the Infirmary. A Brain Healer will be here to assess him and give the okay to do anything else. Then, I'm not sure if the Headmaster told you this or not but I need the three of you in his office to meet with officials. We will discuss the next steps during this time." She looked back at Harry again before looking to Remus, un-shed tears filled her eyes. "Take care of him, Remus."

Remus gave a silent nod and gently took hold of Harry's hand. "Hey cub?" When Harry refused to look up at him, Remus forced himself not to let out a sad sigh. "Come on, buddy. You are coming home with Severus and I." When Harry still didn't budge, Remus added, "Unless you would rather stay the night in the Infirmary?" He smirked when Harry immediately moved to get off the cot. Noticing that Harry was shaking, Remus steadied him and helped him stand, keeping a strong grip on him to make sure he didn't topple over. Remus glanced to Poppy, worried about his shaking.

Poppy walked the three men to the door, "It's just nerves. He will be alright, Remus."

Numb, Harry tuned everyone out and mentally allowed himself to shut down. His body felt like a robot and he couldn't help but feel grateful to Remus' grip or else he would be on the floor due to rubber legs.

Much to Harry's relief, it didn't take long for them to arrive on the Teacher's Wing. Harry focused on the many different portraits. They passed a portrait of dragon with a nest full of eggs (Filius' private quarters), a barn owl (Poppy's private quarters), a lion with a cub (Minerva's private quarters). Other portraits that they passed included a portrait of the universe, Umbridge's pink cat portrait and even a portrait of an old man with a long grey beard. They finally stopped walking when they came to a portrait of a doe wandering around a forest. Harry looked down the corridor and realized there were many more portraits leading to private quarters.

Severus stood in front of his portrait and called out to the doe, "Evermore." Stepping back, Severus watched as his doe moved toward him and then come to a stop. The doe bowed low and then a clicking sound reached their ears. The portrait swung open and Severus held it open for Remus and Harry to walk through.

Surprised at his surroundings, Harry stared around himself with wide eyes. _Where are the bats and bags full of bloods?_

Severus smirked and came to stand beside them, "Surprised, Harry?" When he noticed Harry immediately drop his eyes, Severus sighed. "It's quite alright. I have heard all the rumors but I assure you, I am _not_ a vampire and, no, I do not have pet bats. Nor do I sleep in a coffin. . ."

Remus couldn't help but laugh, "Don't let him fool you, Harry. He did not do all of this by himself. Before I came around his home was filled with greens and blacks, I introduced him to creams and deep maroons. At first he thought the maroon looked a little too much like a Gryffindor but I convinced him otherwise."

Harry stayed silent but raised his eyes to continue looking around the living room. If he was being honest with himself, these quarters are extremely homey.

Wishing Harry would finally speak, Remus desperately changed the subject. "How about we get a snack and hot chocolate in your stomach before you go to sleep?" He glanced at the clock, frowning when he realized it's already passed twelve.

Harry gave a small shake of his head, _I don't think I could eat for the rest of my life._

Heart dropping, Remus gave a small nod. He tried to be understanding but his heart clenched with concern for his cub. "You will talk when you're ready, right cub?"

Harry glanced up at him, biting his lip. _It's nice not speaking. Speaking is what got me in trouble in the first place._ _I am never going to speak again._

Not knowing what else to do, Severus pointed at a door and walked to it, "This is the guest room. Mixie should have your pajamas on the bed for you. If they do not fit do not hesitate to come to us to get them re-sized. The loo is across the corridor from this room and our bedroom is next door. Do you need anything before you go to sleep?"

Harry silently shook his head and entered the guest room, flipping the light on. He gave a quick glance at his surroundings and couldn't help but crack a tiny smile - this room is filled with light greys and navy blues. Once again Harry found himself surprised with the Potion Professor's color choices. His tiny smile barely lasted half a minute.

Harry shut the door to distance himself from Remus and Snape.

All of this felt like a dream or possibly even a nightmare. Even his movements felt weird to him as he walked to the bed and stripped, pulling on pajamas that aren't his own. _Why couldn't they just get mine from my bedroom?_ He shook his head, many things seem odd to him which just confirms his feelings that he might be dreaming.

Once dressed for sleep, Harry flipped the light off and hurried to the bed. Pulling the comforter up over his head, Harry curled into a tight ball and covered his face with his balled fists. Not seconds later his barrier to keep his tears at bay, broke. Streams of hysteric tears flowed down his heated cheeks. He choked to keep himself silent; shoving a fist into his mouth to muffle his sobs. The last thing he wanted was for Remus or Snape to hear his cries.

Shame and embarrassment fueled his tears and he slowly rocked himself back and forth, wishing to either wake up from this nightmare or fall asleep - whichever comes first.

* * *

Remus paced back and forth in front of his seated fiance. "What are we going to do, Sev? Why isn't he speaking to me?!"

Severus patted the place beside him on the bed, "Come here, Rem."

Remus clenched and un-clenched his hands repeatedly and continued to pace back and forth. "What if he never speaks again, Severus?"

Standing, Severus closed the gap between them and pulled Remus close, stopped him from pacing. "He will be fine, Rem. You need to have faith that he can get through this. You cannot expect him to be perfectly fine right now. He needs some space and time to think - do not force yourself on him. All you can do is make sure he knows that you are there for him when he is ready."

Remus shook his head, not understanding. "He seemed fine earlier! He spoke earlier, Sev! Why isn't he speaking now?!"

Rubbing his back, Severus murmured into his ear in a calming voice, "Poppy said he is in shock. Give it time, Rem." Severus pulled back and looked Remus in the eyes, "What will make you feel better? Would you like me to put a notification charm on the door so we are alerted when he wakes up or leaves the room?"

Remus nodded, "Let's go check on him now." Without waiting for a response, Remus left the room but when he went to open the door he found the door locked. Panicked, Remus pulled his wand out and was about to spell the door unlocked, Severus put his hand over his, stopping him. Spinning, Remus stared at Severus with wide eyes, "It's locked, Severus!"

Severus gave a small shake of his head, "Bursting through the door won't do any good, Rem. He probably just doesn't want to be bothered and, to be honest, I don't blame him. I will place the charm on the door now though, don't worry." Severus immediately flicked his wand at the door. The door gave off a light blue glow before fading back to its normal color. "There, it's done, Rem." Taking hold of his hand, Severus led him back to their bedroom and closed the door behind them. "Let's just go to sleep. We will be alerted when he wakes up. All we can do now is let him rest, okay?" When Remus gave a small nod, Severus led him to the bed and pulled the covers down for him. Crawling into bed beside him, Severus pulled Remus tight against him and flicked his wand making the lights go out.

"Everything will be sorted out in the morning, Rem," Severus whispered, moving himself so Remus' head rested on his muscular shoulder.

Remus cuddled in close and closed his eyes, willing his racing heart to slow. "I love you, Sev."

A small smile graced his lips as he closed his eyes, "And I love you, Rem."

 **A/N: Thanks for reading! Again, sorry for the wait!**

 **Savoren.**


	10. A New Beginning

**Chapter Ten:**

 **A New Beginning**

 **A/N: Thanks for reading and reviewing! This is the last chapter of this story, I hope you like it!**

 **Savoren.**

Harry absentmindedly moved the scrambled eggs around his plate, he has yet to eat even a single bite.

Remus sighed, Harry still hasn't spoken a word and now he won't even eat. He forced himself to not tell him to stop playing with his food. Instead, he asked, "Did you rub the healing cream on your injuries?"

Harry gave a tiny nod of his head and let out a deep, sad sigh. Dropping his fork, he slouched on the seat and gazed off into the distance, lost in thought.

Realizing they weren't going to be able to get him to eat anything, Severus stood and cleared the table. "Come, we need to go to the infirmary for your psych evaluation."

Harry rolled his eyes but stood and silently followed the two adults to the infirmary.

When they entered the infirmary Madam Pomfrey was speaking to another nurse in her office.

Severus pointed to the closest cot, "Take a seat, Harry."

Harry couldn't help but feel angry inside, _Everyone is telling me what to do! I just want to go back to sleep and never wake up._

A few minutes later the nurse and Madam Pomfrey exited the office and walked over to the three.

The nurse extended her hand toward Harry in greeting, "Hello, Mr. Potter. My name is Healer Nancy and I will be giving you the evaluation." When Harry didn't say anything, she continued, "How are you feeling this morning?"

Harry glared at the folded blanket at the end of the cot. He stayed silent.

Healer Nancy let out a soft sigh and scribbled something down on her notepad. "What are you thinking about?"

Again, Harry refused to look up or answer her.

She jotted a few more words down on the notepad. "On a scale of one to ten, what would you rate your depression levels?"

When Harry didn't answer, Remus jumped in. "He hasn't spoken a word since Madam Pomfrey removed his glamours."

Healer Nancy gave a small nod and continued writing in her notepad. "Has he eaten?"

Severus shook his head, "He played with his breakfast instead of eating it."

Healer Nancy turned back to the boy on the cot, "Will you participate in your evaluation, Mr. Potter?"

Harry slowly turned his glare on her and kept his mouth clamped shut.

Knowing she was growing impatient, Remus jumped in, "Maybe today is not a good day to do this." Looking at Harry, Remus added, "Harry, nod if you would rather do this tomorrow."

Harry simply turned his glare on Remus, refusing to nod or even shake his head.

Healer Nancy let out a small huff, "Fine. I will come back." Gathering her supplies, she left.

Severus sighed and gave a small shake of his head, "Well, that didn't go as planned."

"That's quite alright, Harry. You can do the evaluation when you find your voice again, alright?" She didn't expect him to answer, even non-verbally. She continued speaking, "It's time to go to the Headmaster's office. He has much to discuss with the three of you."

Harry continued to stay silent as he followed the adults to the Headmaster's office. When they got there they all took a seat in front of the Headmaster's desk and waited for him to start.

They didn't have to wait long for Albus to start the conversation. "The trial for Dolores Umbridge will be held on the fifth of next month. Until the trial she is being held at Azkaban. Any questions?"

Severus nodded, "Will any of us be called to the stand?"

"Since Harry is under age, he will not be put on the stands. You and Remus, on the other hand, may be. I have not heard anything about who will be put on the stand yet," Albus explained.

When everyone went silent, Albus changed the subject. "I know you are not going to speak and I am not going to force you, Harry. Will you nod or shake your head for me though?" At Harry's jerky nod, Albus continued, "I have failed you over and over again since you were a year old. You grew up unappreciated and unloved - this was my fault. I want to make it up to you and fix all of my mistakes." Harry looked at him curiously. "I can make all of this go away if you want me to. I can give you a new beginning."

Severus eyed his father with distrust. "What are you getting at?"

Albus let out a small sigh, fully aware of how much he hurt his relationship with his son. "Harry, dear boy, how would you feel about being de-aged? If this is what you want, you can start over."

Brows furrowed, Harry nibbled on his bottom lip and when he finally spoke, his voice was croaky. "I can't start over because of Voldemort."

Albus gave Harry an encouraging look, "Let us worry about him, Harry. I can give you a new life, a new identity and even new looks." Looking to Severus and Remus, he added, "Even a new family."

Remus couldn't help but smile, as much as he dislikes Albus this is probably the nicest thing the old man has ever offered. He looked at Harry and saw his face scrunched in contemplation. "Think it through before you answer, cub."

Harry stood from his seat, "I know." Keeping his eyes down, Harry muttered as he walked to the office door, "I need to go talk to Hedwig." He didn't wait for a response and closed the door behind him.

Severus stared at the closed dor, wondering whether or not he should follow the boy. When his father cleared his throat, Severus returned his attention to his father, deciding Harry should be left alone to his thoughts.

Albus eyed the two men closely. "There will be multiple steps for the procedure but before I go any further I want to make sure the two of you are willing to adopt him when he is de-aged. I do not trust anyone else with him anymore and I want to be sure he will go to a good home."

Remus looked to Severus, trying to gauge his reaction. "We would need to be married before we could legally adopt him."

Albus nodded and pulled out a piece of parchment from his desk drawer. "I know. I was awake all night preparing everything. I know you want a wedding but there is no harm in performing the blood ritual first and then having the wedding when you are ready." He pushed the papers across the desk toward the two men. "This is completely up to you. I do not want you to feel pressured especially since I know how important a wedding is to you."

Looking over to his fiance, Severus gave a small nod. "I will do it, Remus, if this is what you truly want."

A huge smile grew on his face and he grabbed Severus' hand in a tight squeeze. When he spoke, his voice cracked with pent-up emotions, "A-are you sure, Sev?"

Again, Severus nodded. He squeezed Remus' hand harder and looked to his father, "What is the next step?"

Albus stood from his seat and moved around the desk so he was standing beside them. Picking the parchment up off his desk, he quickly signed his name on the line that says witness. Returning the parchment to the desk, he grabbed his letter opener and gave them their next instructions. "Give me your wedding band finger, Severus." As he gently held his son's hand, Albus put enough pressure against the letter opener to put a small cut on his finger. Once the blood started to bubble up, Albus directed him to push his finger on the parchment. "The fourth finger contains the vena amoris. As you might already know, vena amoris is the vein that runs directly to the heart - hence the name, vein of love." Looking to Remus, he gestured for his hand. Once both Remus and Severus had their bloody finger print on the parchment, Albus instructed them to sign their names and then he sent the paperwork off to the Ministry of Magic. Once everything was complete, Albus smiled at them, "Congratulations, the ritual is complete and you are now married." He turned his smile directly on Remus, "Welcome to the family, son."

After a few minutes they all took their seats and Albus spoke up again, "That was the first step. The second step will be more complicated." He glanced at Poppy, who so far has remained silent the whole time. "I never told either of this - the only other person who knows is Poppy. When the Dark Lord was at full power he split his soul and put it in six objects so he could live forever. What he did not know was that the night he tried to kill Harry, a piece of his soul latched on to him."

Severus frowned deeply, horrified but trying to hide it. "Are you saying that Harry is a horcrux?"

Albus gave a small nod, "Yes and no. A horcrux is living _inside_ him. If we want Harry to never have to deal with the Dark Lord again and de-age him, we need to kill the horcrux. Poppy and I knew this would need to happen someday but we never expected to be doing it so soon after the discovery of the horcruxes."

Remus looked horrified about this new discovery. "How are we going to kill the horcrux without hurting Harry?"

Albus let out a deep breath, "Severus, I need you to get your poison from your potion storage. You will need to get the antidote as well. We need to kill Harry to kill the horcrux, this is why Poppy is with us right now. The antidote will bring him back to life if we do not waste any time. As soon as his heart stops beating, we need to give him the antidote."

Remus' eyes felt like they would pop out of his head at any second! "No! Absolutely not!"

"I'll do it," Harry told them, pushing the office door open and entering. He had been eavesdropping ever since he left the room. "It needs to happen anyway."

Remus leveled Harry with a dangerous look, "I said _no_ , Harry James."

Harry let out a deep sigh, "When you adopt and raise me, you can tell me what to do, Remus. Right now I have no parents and, no offense, but I wasn't raised to respect authority. I'm going to do this. You will have a say in my life once I am de-aged but right now I need to do what is best."

Albus smiled gently at the boy, "I am proud of you, Harry. Severus, please get what I asked of you."

Looking at his husband, Severus let out a deep sigh. "I have to, Remus. The poison will not be painful; it will be like falling asleep. As soon as his heart stops we will spell the antidote into his stomach. Everything will be alright."

"What if it doesn't work?" Remus demanded.

"It will." Severus placed a small kiss to Remus' forehead and then left to get the potions.

Once the door closed behind Severus, Remus turned to Harry and asked, "Is this what you truly want? To die, come back, de-age and start over?"

Harry gave a firm nod, "Sounds like a dream come true. I don't want the same identity though. I don't want to be famous when I come back. If I'm starting over I want a completely fresh slate. Today Harry Potter officially dies. You have to promise me that."

Albus couldn't help but smile. "I promise, Harry. You do know your last name will be Snape, right?"

Harry nodded, "And they will bless me with a new first and middle name once I am de-aged. How young will I be de-aged to?"

"I promised you a complete new beginning, Harry. You will be de-aged to a newborn," Albus explained.

Poppy spoke up again, "Have no fears, Mr. Potter. I will monitor your progress every step of the way."

Harry gave a small nod but before he could say anything, Severus returned with the poison and antidote. Harry eyed the bottle of poison with only a slight hesitation. _He said it won't hurt._

Just wanting to get everything over with, Harry reached out for the poison.

Severus frowned at his eagerness but handed him the potion.

Poppy immediately waved her wand at Harry and a heart monitor appeared in the air. "Whenever you are ready, Harry."

Harry didn't have to be told twice. _Just get it over with, Harry!_ Closing his eyes, he took in one nervous, shuddering breath before downing the poison in a single gulp.

Remus started pacing back and forth as he watched Severus helped Harry lay down on the floor. "How long is this going to take?"

"Not long, Rem," Severus murmured, kneeling beside Harry. He kept the antidote uncorked and at the ready. His clutched his wand in a tight grip.

Harry could feel his eyelids growing heavy, it felt as if he hadn't slept in weeks! His lips starting tingling until the sensation turned into numbness. He finally closed his eyes and tried to listen to his surroundings. When the noises around him faded out, he took his last breath.

At the sound of the flat-line, Severus immediately flicked his wand at the antidote, spelling it into Harry's stomach.

Remus' pacing picked up as his nerves got worse. "How do we know if it worked?"

Severus stayed silent, watching for any signs that the antidote kicked in.

A small, quiet beeping sound caught Remus' attention and he snapped his eyes to the floating heart monitor.

"He's back! His heart beat is weak but it should grow stronger in a few minutes," Poppy told everyone. She immediately cast a diagnosis on Harry and checked him over. As she did this, his heart beat grew stronger.

"We should de-age him while he is still out. I heard the de-aging potion can be quite painful. It would be better if he is passed out, he won't feel a thing," Albus said as he uncorked a potion he had pulled out from his desk. He handed the potion to Severus and gave small nod.

Severus immediately spelled the de-aging potion into Harry's stomach and sat back, waiting for any changes.

Remus halted his pacing and knelt beside Severus, "How do we know if the horcrux actually died?"

"I don't know," Severus admitted quietly.

Poppy kept casting diagnostic spells on him, checking on any changes of his age. After the fifth try, she found he had de-aged by two years.

Remus clutched Severus' hand in nervous anticipation. He watched Harry's body shake and quiver as his bones started to shrink. His skin bubbled angrily as the changes started to take full effect. In a matter of seconds the shaking and bubbling increased to the point where Severus had to place a cushioning charm under the boy, afraid he would slam his head against the floor and break it open.

Not a minute later, Poppy looked down at the floor and let out a small gasp. She hadn't expected the potion to work so quickly and yet, laying on the floor, in a heap of clothing, lay a newborn.

Hearing the cries, Remus hurried to gather Harry into his arms, making sure to wrap Harry's old shirt around him to keep him warm. "I-It worked!"

Albus smiled and looked down at his soon-to-be grandson. "I knew it would." Moving to stand behind his desk, Albus motioned for the men to stand, "Bring him to me, Remus."

Remus did as he was told and immediately handed his cub over, "Harry said he wanted a new name and looks. How can we do that? Surely we can't give him polyjuice or put a glamour on him for the rest of his life. How do we remove the lightning bolt scar? He doesn't want Harry Potter to exist anymore, remember?"

Albus smiled, "Be calm, Remus. I have everything figured out." Unwrapping the newborn from the t-shirt, Albus laid the naked baby on top of his desk. Casting a warming spell on his body, he kept one hand on him and with the other he pulled out more paperwork from his desk. "You are going to adopt him by means of blood now. Since he is only a few minutes old, by blood adopting him, his genes will rearrange to match yours. This wouldn't work if he was any older though so we need to do this quickly." Picking up his envelope opener, he motioned for Severus and Remus to cut their fingers again. "Put a drop on the parchment and mix your blood together." As they did what they were told, Albus numbed Harry's toe and then pressed the tip of the envelope opener against his soft skin. As soon as the blood appeared, Albus stopped and put of drop of Harry's blood in with Remus and Severus'. He immediately began mixing the blood, "Sign your names. Poppy, I need you as the witness." Once everyone had their names signed, Albus tapped his wand against the parchment and murmured Ancient Latin under his breath.

Severus watched as the paper began to glow a bright red, "Does that mean it worked?"

Albus smiled and looked down at the little boy, "Look for yourself, son." He smiled and watched as Harry's skin began to bubble, making the changes to match his new genes. Once the skin stopped bubbling, Albus reached into his desk again and pulled out a newborn outfit. He handed the onesie and a nappy to Remus and smiled, "Dress your son, Remus."

Remus' heart thundered away in his chest, _He is beautiful._ He could see the mixed features of himself and Severus.

Severus looked at the onesie and let out a snort, " _That's_ his first outfit?" He shook his head but his smile refused to leave his face. He watched on as Remus dressed their son in a white onesie with lemondrops all over it. "We need to go shopping, Rem."

Remus nodded in agreement. He couldn't stop staring at their son; he is perfect in every way.

Poppy quickly wiped away at her eyes, trying not to give away the fact that she was crying tears of happiness. "What is his name?"

Severus and Remus looked at each other. A while back they had spoken about someday adopting a child. If the adopted child was a girl they wanted to name her Lily Ann. If the child was a boy they decided on the name Ethan Alexander.

Squeezing Severus' hand, Remus smiled down at their son and answered her, "His name is Ethan Alexander Snape."

Albus quickly wrote the name down on the piece of parchment, "Would you like me to send this to the Ministry or would you like to?"

Severus gently took the parchment from his father, "I will handle it. Thank you, father."

Albus smiled back, feeling as if his smile would never wear off. "I will inform the Ministry of the passing of Harry James Potter."

Poppy quickly handed him the sheet with the time when Harry's heart stopped beating. "Are you ready to be fathers?"

Severus wrapped one arm around his husband and gazed down at Ethan, "It's a new beginning for all of us."

Remus leaned in against his husband, "Let's go home, Sev. We have a lot to do today." Remus started toward the door.

Severus stayed put, staring at his father, trying to read him. "You never approved of Remus and I. What made you decide we would be good parents?"

Albus sighed softly and looked toward the little boy fast asleep in Remus' arms, "Your love is true, that is all I need. I was wrong, Severus, and I am deeply sorry."

Severus blinked hard, feeling his eyes sting with un-shed tears. He closed the gap between himself and his father and wrapped his arms around him. They hadn't hugged since he was sixteen years old. "Thank you, father."

Albus closed his eyes, feeling his heart flutter. Wrapping his arms tightly around his son, Albus whispered, "I love you, Sev."

"I love you too, father," Severus whispered back, resting his head on his father's shoulder, not ready to end the hug yet.

Remus and Poppy watched on, smiles plastered on their faces. Today is a great day: a feud between father and son has finally ended after many years, a marriage took place, and a son was born.

 _I always thought happily ever after was only for fairy tales. . ._ Remus looked down at Ethan and knew how wrong his previous belief was.

 **And they all lived happily ever after. The End!**

 **A/N: I hope you all liked this last chapter. I know it was cheesy at some points but I loved it. I will eventually be writing a sequel for this story where Ethan is a little older.**

 **Thanks for reading!**

 **Savoren.**


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